Ogun Speaker, Kunle Oluomo Impeached

The Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Kunle Oluomo was on Tuesday impeached during the plenary sitting held at the assembly complex.

Eighteen of the 26 members of the State Assembly voted for Oluomo’s impeachment at the plenary session.

His impeachment is a result of embezzlement of funds, highhandedness, and related offenses.

The Assembly immediately elected a member, Oludaisi Elemide, as the new Speaker.

Giving his maiden speech after the impeachment, the new speaker asked for calm among members.

He said that the impeachment was not targeted against the governor of the state Dapo Abiodun as being speculated in some quarters.

He said that the development is within the constitutional rights of the members to elect those who lead them in the House.

The House later adjourned plenary for two weeks, with the new speaker in possession of the maze, the symbol of authority of the House.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on September 6, 2022, arraigned Oluomo before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged N2.475bn money laundering.

Oluomo was arraigned alongside three others: Oladapo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on 11 counts of conspiracy, forgery, stealing, and money laundering preferred against them by the EFCC.

The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) had told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences between 2019 and 2022.

He made it known that the incident took place in Ogun State.

Oyedepo told the court that they stole the sum of N2.475bn from the treasury of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

Oluomo was, however, granted bail while the trial continues.