News broke on Monday that lawmakers at the Lagos House of Assembly had a closed door session moving the motion for the impeachment of Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The lawmakers cited the following as the reasons they wanted Governor Ambode impeached:
1/3“Amidst all that has been said in the media , i would use this medium to clarify this; Lagos State House of Assembly cannot sit and scrutinize a budget which is already incurring expenditure”
2/3.A committee was set up and it discovered that 2019 Budget is already being implemented by the Executive without being laid on the Floor of the House. Th Committee in its findings also noted that 2018 budget, as at 3rd quarter has not performed 50%.
3/3.The Speaker therefore implored his colleagues to allow the Executive, led by the Governor of the State, His Excellency @AkinwunmiAmbode to defend these infractions before we proceed on the right actions as stipulated by the Law.–Obasa (RT.Hon.Speaker, LSHA)
@mudashiru_obasa @followlasg”
However, on Tuesday morning, foremost judicial journalist, Richard Akinnola posted on his Facebook page that he had a discussion with someone in Ambode’s camp about the impeachment moves. Here is what he wrote:
REASONS THEY WANT AMBODE IMPEACHED
Late last night, l spoke with someone close to Ambode on what was going on and this is what he told me.
That the main veiled allegation was that he was funding Jimi Agbaje, though this was not mentioned on the floor of the House of Assembly yesterday.
He described the allegation as ludicrous, his accusers having previously failed to establish that he sponsored thugs to disrupt the party rally weeks ago.
He wondered if it was possible for Ambode to fund the opposition without Abuja knowing, when he knew that all eyes were on him and was being closely monitored.
He stated that Ambode had substantially supported the Sanwo -Olu campaign.
” All these campaign publicity materials all over Lagos, where do you think they are coming from? Do you know that there are hundreds of campaign staff working for Sanwo-olu and they are being paid? Who do you think is picking the bills? The Governor of course. The problem is that some party leaders, claiming to be acting for the Sanwo-olu campaign council, are asking for the Governor to give them N3.5billion for the campaign but the governor refused because he knew it would end up in their pocket.
Don’t forget he is an accountant. He deals directly with the party’s governorship candidate.
Coupled with this is the crazy campaign financial demands of members of the House of Assembly. They want the governor to finance their campaign, making unreasonable demands, telling the governor that that was the tradition. But Ambode refused.
Reason they first refused to allow him present the 2019 budget until he settled their campaign expenses. When that blackmail did not work, they started their last night’s impeachment moves, accusing the governor of spending money without House’s authorisation. It’s just a smokescreen. That is the truth. If there is anyone working for the opposition, they are members of the House, otherwise why this move barely two weeks to the presidential election? Is it not to sabotage the president’s election? They would be shocked that everyone would go down in this exercise, including them. Orun nyabo kii soro enikan (meaning, if the heaven falls, it falls on everybody, not on one person).”
Below are screenshots of the post on his Facebook wall:
