Eminent personalities including the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed; and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Austin Alege (SAN), on Tuesday condemned the spate of impeachment of speakers in Nigeria by minority legislators, saying it was a bad omen for the sustenance of the nation’s democracy.
The eminent personalities, who spoke at the 60th anniversary of the Ibadan Bar, particularly frowned at the recent impeachment of the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, by minority members of the House.
For instance, the CJN, who was represented by a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Ogwuta Nwali, described the development as nothing but an affront on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which political office holders had sworn to protect in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The NBA President, on his own, expressed dissatisfaction with the police invasion of the National Assembly and the locking out of members of the House of Representatives, stressing that such an act was an unnecessary interference in the activities of the legislative arm of government, even as he condemned the scaling of fence by the federal lawmakers.
For Governor Ajimobi, there is the need for all players on the political scene to abide by the rules of the game in the interest of Nigeria and the generality of the people, particularly as the 2015elections draw near, stating that all organs of government should playtheir roles within the bounds of law and constitutional principles.
As a demonstration of playing by the rules, he condemned the use of military personnel in the conduct of elections, saying this was unknown in the history of democratic governance all over the world and should, therefore, no longer be tolerated in the country.
“As a governor sworn to an Oath of Allegiance to uphold the Constitution of our land and as a law-abiding citizen of this country, I bear a responsibility to respect the law and the Constitution, as well as to express my displeasure whenever the law or the Constitution is being violated. This is a duty that every citizen of this country must not shy away from, if we want this democracy to endure and thrive,” Ajimobi said.
