Special Correspondent, JULIUS ALABI, writes on the intrigues leading to the impeachment of Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi by members of the House of Assembly, last week.
The sizzling power game that had been in Ondo State in the last two months came to a climax last Monday, when members of the House of Assembly finally impeached the embattled Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi, over allegations of gross misconduct.
It was a unanimous decision that brought to an abrupt end the reign of Olanusi as the state deputy governor.
“He is not fit for the revered seat of the deputy governor of the state,” the Assembly members had alleged.
Seventy-three-year-old Olanusi, who assumed the position about six years ago, parted ways with his principal, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, and moved into the All Progressives Congress (APC) two days to the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Although the ousted deputy governor had over the years been having issues with the governor, the feud had been kept away from the public. But even as the authorities in Ondo had tried to downplay the face-off, Olanusi was known to have been aloof and detached from the programmes of the administration in which he was supposed to be a core stakeholder. On such occasions, observers not familiar with the intrigues in Government House had thought that his near withdrawal from high profile activities in the state may be as a result of his perceived failing health.
Insiders of Ondo politics insist that the mistrust between Mimiko and Olanusi was beyond the 2015 general elections. It was rather argued that the two leaders had tried to outsmart each other in the gradual build-up to next year’s governorship election in the state. Olanusi, however, seems to have been caught up in the game.
The suspicion that the former deputy governor was up for some unpredictable moves was on account of efforts he had put in the presidential election to outsmart Mimiko. While appearing on the surface as being in the same camp with the governor, Olanusi had allegedly commenced negotiations with some APC stalwarts for close to six weeks to the elections.
What allegedly informed his survivalist strategy was that he had thought that Mimiko was angling to become the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, if President Goodluck Jonathan was re-elected. He had, thus, anticipated a situation in which the governor would orchestrate his impeachment and whoever emerged as the new deputy governor would be his successor by the time he would have gone to Abuja. TheNiche learnt that it was in the process that he launched his move towards APC to avoid being completely disgraced.
In what was considered to be the fight of his life, Olanusi was said to have co-opted some serving commissioners and lawmakers to join him. He was also said to have always sat with rebellious PDP actors against the governor.
Our reporter, in fact, learnt that Olanusi would have been impeached a year ago, but for the intervention of Mimiko who allegedly said nothing of such must happen under his watch.
But the governor, who heard about the various anti-party moves of his deputy, chose to ignore him until he defected to APC.
Aside the factor of 2016 governorship election in the state, the frosty relationship between Mimiko and Olanusi began to develop shortly before the second term ticket was handed to the governor when pressure was mounted on him to do away with the ‘old school deputy governor’ and settle for a new generation lieutenant. Olanusi accused Mimiko of sponsoring those who did not want him to “enjoy the fruit of his labour during the second term”. Though the two eventually went into the poll and came out victorious, they have not had a smooth relationship ever since.
What the erstwhile deputy governor interpreted as an opportunity came knocking when a dummy was allegedly sold to him that he could become the governor if he defected to the APC before the elections. Olanusi allegedly bought into the plan that the APC would win majority seats in the House of Assembly election following which the lawmakers would be mobilised to remove Mimiko and he would replace him.
It was gathered that the plan to hijack the state from Mimiko was hatched in Osogbo and Akure, even when the general elections remained two days to go, which led to the deputy governor defecting to APC.
The defection, it was gathered, shocked the governor, gravely. The results of the presidential and the National Assembly elections appeared to have worked well for Olanusi and his new-found friends, while complicating matters for Mimiko who failed to live up to his boast that he would deliver one million votes from Ondo for Jonathan.
Rattled by the disappointing outing, Mimiko went back to the drawing board to re-strategise and avoid another defeat by the APC. His efforts paid off with his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning 21 seats in the House of Assembly.
It was with the renewed strength which the governor garnered from his successful outing in April 11 governorship and House of Assembly polls that his foot soldiers in the legislature moved against Olanusi.
The allegation against him was gross misconduct. After studying the report of the panel set up to investigate the deputy governor, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu (Ondo West 1), moved the motion for his impeachment. This was swiftly seconded by Oyebo Aladatan, representing Ilaje State Constituency 2.
The House members based their action on the fact that Olanusi violated section 188 (9) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. The Speaker of the House, Jumoke Akindele, adopted the motion and declared the deputy governor impeached and removed from office.
Akindele ordered that all properties in the care of the deputy governor be handed over to the permanent secretary at the office of the deputy governor. Two members of the House belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbenga Edema and Fola Olasehinde, were absent at the sitting.
Before the turn of events on Monday, the initial motion for Olanusi’s impeachment was moved by the Majority Leader of the House and seconded by one of Olanusi’s kinsmen, Yinka Banso, from Akoko North West Constituency I.
Akindele said the deputy governor should be served the notice personally, through the office of the deputy governor or through his official residential quarters.
The allegations on the impeachment notice against Olanusi read: “That Alhaji Ali Olanusi, being the holder of the office of deputy governor, permitted and condoned the perpetuation of fraudulent activities in the office of deputy governor, in that one Alhaji Bola Idris Olanusi, the younger brother and special assistant in the office of the deputy governor, procured false LPO, with the knowledge of Alhaji Ali Olanusi and obtained from ESHO Resources International Limited two trucks of AGO with forged documents and for personal benefits, thereby putting the office of the deputy governor into disrepute.
“That Alhaji Olanusi, being the holder of the office of deputy governor of Ondo State and having full knowledge that his younger brother, Alhaji Bola Idris Olanusi, who, at that material time, was his personal staff, engaged in activities unbecoming of official of government, refused to sanction, query or discipline the said staff, thus bringing the office of the deputy governor into disrepute.
“That Alhaji Olanusi, being the holder of the office of Deputy Governor of Ondo State, engaged in absenteeism and truancy by regularly assenting himself from office, place of work and all other official engagements specifically between April 13 to 17 and 20, 2015 without lawful excuse or authorisation, but generally acting in a manner inconsistent with the dictates and expectations of the high office of the deputy governor of a state, thus undermining the governance process, an act which amounts to gross misconduct under the constitution.
“That Alhaji Olanusi, being the holder of the office of deputy governor at various dates, collected various sums of money N39.9 million between 2009 and 2014 for the purpose of travelling and medical bill when, in actual fact, the said Alhaji Olanusi did not travel on the said specified dates or did not travel at all and or did not expend the approved medical bills as appropriate, thereby unlawfully enriching himself and or causing loss to the state government.”
Reacting to the impeachment notice, the Ondo APC described it as laughable. A statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, in Akure, said: “We are aware of the purported impeachment notice served on the deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, by the Ondo State House of Assembly.
“So it is laughable for the rubber stamp House of Assembly to have claimed it has served the deputy governor an impeachment notice, knowing full that the law does not permit to serve impeachment notice in absentia. The notice is a nullity.”
Olanusi also said: “I am yet to be officially informed about this development. You will get my full reaction if and whenever I’m officially and lawfully informed.”
But in forging ahead with the move, the House had received the report of the seven-man probe panel set up by the state Chief Judge, Olasehinde Kumuyi. The panel, chaired by a retired Chief Magistrate, Olatunde Adeniyan, found Olanusi culpable of the seven offences levelled against him. The allegations included: financial misappropriation, absenteeism from official duties, and causing political disaffection in the cabinet of the state government.
All the 23 members of the Assembly present at the plenary session unanimously supported the impeachment and subsequent removal of the deputy governor. After the plenary of the House where the deputy governor was impeached, the House went on recess and later reconvened at 11.30am where the Clerk of the House, Bode Adeyelure, read the letter of Governor Mimiko to the House, announcing the nomination of Olanusi’s successor, Lasisi Oluboyo, to members.
The new deputy governor, Oluboyo, who is the Commissioner for Agriculture, hails from Ikare Akoko in Akoko North-West council area of the state.
But beyond the above drama, assuming Olanusi committed all these offences, would he have been impeached if he had remained in the PDP with the governor? Again, does it mean that for the past six years, Olanusi only absented from duty just last April? If so, why couldn’t the House pardon him as a first offender? Questions and more questions which only the politics of Ondo State in the future can answer.