The embattled Speaker, Ondo State House Assembly, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, on Monday, resigned her position as the leader of the House.
Akindele, who assumed the position as the first female speaker in Ondo State in 2014, and five principal officers of the Assembly had sent their letter of resignation to the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu.
The principal officers that resigned with Akindele are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Fatai Olotu; the Majority Leader, Mr. Ifedayo Akinsoyinu; the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Obadiah Vincent; the Whip, Mrs. Adesanya Kemisola; and the Assistant Parliamentary Secretary, Mr. Towase Kuti.
The resignation letter was jointly signed by the six former principal officers of the Assembly, who also gave a condition that the Malahi Coker’s faction should also resign.
The letter read in part, “Our resignation has become imperative in the face of the new geographical configuration of the state so that peace, which is the hallmark of any administration, will continue to reign in the land.
“Moreover, we are desirous of moving the state forward for the benefit of our people.”
Akindele, Olotu and Akinsoyinu were impeached by 13 of the 26 lawmakers for alleged involvement in financial misappropriation in February, 2017.
Coker, Ayodele Arowele and Olamide George were subsequently elected as the speaker, the deputy speaker and the major leader respectively in acting capacity.
Meanwhile, the Assembly, which was sealed off by the police in February following the leadership crisis in the House, was reopened for sitting on Monday as the factional leader, Coker, presided over the plenary session as a the speaker.
The session was attended by the 12 lawmakers in the Coker faction.
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