Leadership tussle rocks Osun assembly as members-elect drag speaker, clerk to court

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The leadership crisis is currently rocking the Osun State House of Assembly as two members-elect from Ife North and Osogbo state constituencies, Oyewusi Abidemi and Lawal Rasheed, approached the court to challenge the rules mandating the speaker to emerge from making the ranking members.

The plaintiffs joined the assembly, speaker Timothy Owoeye, and clerk of the house, as respondents in the originating summons filed before the state high court.

They want the respondents to appear in the court within 21 days to explain whether the provision of Rule 4 (a) of the Osun State House of Assembly Legislative Standing Rule to the effect that the Speaker of the House Assembly shall be from among the ranking members-elect of the House of Assembly is not contrary to the provision of section 92(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), therefore unconstitutional, null and void.

The respondents stated that upon the determination of the question, they shall be seeking a declaration that the provision of Rule 4(a) of the Osun State House of Assembly Legislative Standing Rules is inconsistency with the provision of section 92(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as
amended), thereby unconstitutional null, and void.

The plaintiffs maintained that the rules of the House are inconsistent with the provision of the Constitution.

They submitted that they have the right, being members elected to represent their constituents, to participate in the speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Assembly at their inauguration which would be done in a matter of days from now.