Barely 24 hours after the Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Ogundeji Iroju was impeached; the Assembly reinstated him back to his former position.
This development came shortly after efforts to reverse the impeachment of the former Iroju, degenerated into a free-for-all battle in the House.
Iroju, who represented Odigbo Constituency 1, at a plenary session, was on Tuesday removed by 18 out of the 22 lawmakers who sat and presented their signatures to the Speaker, Mr. Bamidele Oleyelogun. He was subsequently replaced with Bimbo Fajolu from the same federal constituency.
He was accused of high-handedness, malfeasance, misappropriation of funds and gross disrespect to the Office of the Speaker, and immediately replaced with Mr. Abimbola Fajolu from Ileoluji/Okeigbo Constituency.
It was gathered that the controversy degenerated into an exchange of blows and punches between the Chief Whip, Olusola Oluyede, from Ose Constituency and Iroju, causing more commotion in the session which is statutorily in Yoruba Language on Wednesdays.
Shortly after the rowdy session, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ade Adetimehin came into the Assembly and directed all members of the Assembly to report at his office for amicable settlement of the dispute.
The opposing lawmakers, both PDP and APC extraction had kicked against the refusal of the impeached officer to relinquish the office, pointing to the fact that he played a prominent role in the bid to change the leadership of the House when former Speaker, Jumoke Akindele was impeached last year.
After about two hours deliberation, the lawmakers reconvened at the plenary and moved the motion reinstating Iroju as the Deputy Speaker and directed Mr Bimbo Fajolu who was earlier sworn in as Deputy Speaker to revert to his former position as a member of the Assembly.
Moving the motion for the reinstatement, the Majority Leader, Mr Olugbenga Araoyinbo said due to the intervention of the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, the Assembly would rescind its decision on the impeachment.
Olotu who moved the motion for the impeachment initially seconded the motion to reinstate Iroju as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Bamidele Oleyeloogun said due to the intervention of the leaders both within and outside the state; “ the impeachment is hereby reversed.”
Addressing the media on the reversal, Olotu who is also the Chairman of Information said the decision was taken to bring about peace in the state.