Ondo deputy gov’s inauguration illegal, APC insists

The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko of attempting to mislead the public regarding the impeachment of the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, and the manner in which Olanusi’s successor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, came into office.

Olanusi had, during an interview with our correspondent last week, said that his impeachment was illegal and the administration of oath during the inauguration of Oluboyo as deputy governor was done by the Attorney General of the state, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), instead of the Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, as stipulated by the country’s constitution.

This, according to him, made Oluboyo’s inauguration illegal.

Mimiko, however, had insisted that “the administration of oath was conducted by the Chief Judge of the state in full public glare,” adding that the oath book was also signed by the new deputy governor and the Chief Judge, as the administering authority.

But the APC, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, accused Mimiko of falsehood.

In an e-mail sent to our correspondent, the APC attached a video clip showing the Attorney General of the state administering the oath of office to Oluboyo.

The statement read, “The Ondo APC chapter insists that the inauguration of Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo was not in line with the spirit and letters of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“The oath of office administered on Oluboyo as the Deputy Governor of Ondo State was performed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the State, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), and not the Chief Judge of the State, Olasehinde Kumuyi, as shown in the video.

“Section 185 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates that, ‘The oath of allegiance and oath of office shall be administered by the Chief Judge of the state or Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the state, or the President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the state, or the person for the time being respectively appointed to exercise the functions of any of those offices in any state.’

“Section 187 (2) of the constitution states further that, ‘The provisions of this part of this chapter relating to qualification of election, tenure of office, disqualifications, declaration of assets and liabilities and oath of governor shall apply in relation to the office of the deputy governor as if references to governor were references to deputy governor.’”

The APC, therefore, called on Oluboyo to immediately resign as the circumstances surrounding his appointment were illegal.

The party also urged him to return all salaries and allowances that had been paid to him by the state government.

The APC called on the National Judicial Council and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to sanction both the state attorney general and chief judge.

The statement read, “As a result of this illegality and constitutional aberration that ushered in Oluboyo into office, we hereby call on him to vacate the office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State and return to the treasury of the state all salaries, allowances and or emoluments received by him as Deputy Governor of Ondo State.

“In the same vein, we call on the NJC and the LPDC to investigate the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Olasehinde Kumuyi, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), thoroughly on this matter respectively and sanction accordingly.”