According to Nigerian Tribune, the All Progressives Congress (APC) may lose its majority status in Ekiti House of Assembly, if a fresh political deal being reportedly packaged sails through.
The party, currently with 16 lawmakers, may end up with equal number of seats with its Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, as three of its lawmakers have reportedly opened defection discussion with the PDP, which controls the executive arm of government.
The party, originally with 25 members, lost six to PDP as Governor Ayo Fayose assumed office, with another three said to be part of the 10 pro-Fayose lawmakers that cleared his commissioner-nominees and council caretaker members on Monday.
In order to constitutionally take over the leadership of the assembly from the majority party, moves are reportedly on to strike a mutually-benefiting deal with three more APC lawmakers that were open to defection talks.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that it would be risky for the said lawmakers to expose their identity now.
It was gathered that once the two parties were arithmetically-even, the APC defectors would be used in luring members on the side of APC to support the planned leadership change in the assembly.
It was gathered that part of the new deal being packaged for those expected to defect from APC was that one of them would emerge the new speaker.
The seat, currently occupied by Honourable Adewale Omirin, is alleged to have been specifically demanded by his colleagues as a condition precedent for crossing over.
Part II A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) Section 90 (2) gives the conditions to be met before the speaker could be removed.
It reads: “The Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly shall vacate his office if – (a) if he ceases to be a member of the House of Assembly otherwise than by reason of the dissolution of the House;
(b) When the House first sits after any dissolution of House; or (c) if he is removed from office by a resolution of House of Assembly by the votes of not less than two-third majority of the members of the House.”
The source was confident that with 13 members each, it would be easier getting the required number to constitutionally remove Omirin.
About 19 lawmakers would be needed to remove him from office.
The composition of members of caretaker committees for the local government council areas was also said to be a throw-in, in the packaging of the deal.
Lawmakers of APC hue were reportedly asked to nominate transitional members for the local governments and had allegedly consented.
The source told the Nigerian Tribune that even lawmakers not disposed to leaving APC accepted the offer to nominate members for the council management.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ayo Fayose confirmed the nomination development on his Facebook wall on Monday, when he said shocker awaited Omirin on the claimed loyalty of the 19 APC lawmakers, Nigerian Tribune reported.
Source: Tribune