Lagos Assembly Suspends Member Over Defection
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Thursday afternoon drew a battle line between them and one of their colleagues who defected from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the Labour Party days ago to protest alleged imposition of candidates by the party.
Hon. Sakiru Adebanjo of Epe Constituency, few days ago decided to leave the ruling ACN in the state after his name was allegedly substituted for another candidate even though he claimed to have won the primaries.
Not satisfied with the situation, he went to the LP where he is waiting to launch his campaign.
But at a plenary Thursday, the lawmakers suspended Adebanjo over a petition sent by people of his constituency to complain about his defection.
The petition titled 'Irrational behaviour displayed by a member of LSHA (Epe Constituency II)' which was read on the floor of the House stated that, Adebanjo, who until after the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) primaries, where he lost out as a member of the party, barred some members of ACN from pasting posters of governor Fashola, House of Representatives candidate, Lanre Odubote, and Senatorial candidate, Gbenga Ashafa in his Ward at Epe.
"Adebanjo with some of his friends came to meet us at Mojoda and demanded to know why we were pasting posters in his ward.
"After explaining to them, he ordered us to give him the remaining posters which he said should not be pasted again. In an attempt to resist him, he and his friends tore the remaining posters including the pasted ones.
"He also put up a threat that we should count ourselves dead if we insist on pasting any poster that belongs to ACN candidates', the letter read in part.
Speaking on the petition, one of the members, Adelabu Onibiyo (Alimosho I) said that he learnt that Adebanjo was trying to prevent other parties from his constituency because he had defected to Labour Party.
Also, Babatunde Ayeni (Osodi-Isolo I) confirmed that Adebanjo has defected to Labour Party, adding that he pasted his Labour Party's poster in his office which made the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji to send the Sergeant-at-arms to check his (Adebanjo) office for confirmation.
After seeing the poster, Ikuforiji ordered an immediate suspension of Adebanjo pending the time the Ethics and Privileges committee looked into the matter and submitted its findings.
According to him, 'Since the purpose of this House is to serve as a role model for other state Assemblies, we will take necessary steps on Adebanjo's action.
"It is not right to investigate the matter when the alleged person is there. Therefore, I hand over the matter to the committee on Ethics and Privileges so as to investigate the matter without any delay'.
However, close colleagues of the embattled lawmaker say the action of the lawmaker was an invitation to legal tussle that may impact negatively on the forthcoming elections in the state.
According to them, the lawmaker is just being victimised by the Speaker as a payback to his rejection by the people of Epe where he comes from and currently represent at the House.
According to lawmakers sympathetic to Adebanjo, the suspension is more political. They referred to the defection of Hon. Hodewu Avoseh of Ikorodu Constituency from the Peoples Democratic Party to ACN and how he was celebrated and not persecuted.
Adebanjo, who has not officially reacted, had explained in his office that he was not disturbed by how his colleagues would react to his defection.
He also said he was grown enough to put his political life in the hands of somebody.