Faced with apparent deliberate exclusion from the Ondo state government’s car gift to members of the state House of Assembly, the seven lawmakers opposed to the impeachment of the state Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, have cried foul, criticising the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu for playing politics with the House.
Govenor Akeredolu had given 19 legislators loyal to him the 2020 model SUV KIA Sportage last Friday as official vehicle, out of the 26 members of the state Assembly leaving out the rest seven loyal to Agboola.
Speaking during the distribution of the vehicles to the 19 lawmakers, Akeredolu said his administration had kept its promise of providing the cars to the lawmakers despite the dwindling resources of the state.
In their reaction, one of the aggrieved lawmakers and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Iroju Ogundeji, faulted the governor and condemned his action against the seven legislators.
He noted that they were denied the vehicles because they did not support the governor’s planned impeachment of his Deputy, Agboola.
According to him, “They are using their power on us because we did not support the impeachment, but I know the time shall pass. They even refused to obey the High Court’s verdict that quashed our suspension”.
Also lending his voice to the matter, another lawmaker, Mr Tomide Akinribido, said their exclusion was to penalise them for their refusal to sign the impeachment notice against the state deputy governor.
He said: “This is not the governor’s personal gifts, it is statutory and the governor should not play politics with it”.
