By SEUN OLAOLUWA- ADO-EKITI
The chairman of Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr Femi Ayodele, was, on Friday, suspended by state House of Assembly for sponsoring an unauthorised 2023 presidential campaign poster of Governor Kayode Fayemi.
The suspension followed a unanimous resolution was passed during plenary sitting presided over by the Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, who directed the committee constituted to investigate the action of the council boss to report back to the House within one week.
The campaign poster, which has generated series of political debates and innuendos in the state and the country went viral on all social media platforms on Wednesday and had the photograph of Fayemi campaigning for the president in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The embattled local council chairman had said he did the posters to show his unalloyed loyalty to Fayemi, as against insinuations that he was working against the speculated ambition of the governor ahead the 2023 presidential poll.
However, Ayodele incurred the wrath of the state legislature as the Majority Leader if the House, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, moved the motion for the suspension and investigation of the alleged unauthorised campaign posters and was seconded by Tajudeen Akingbolu from Ekiti West Constituency.
The motion titled: “Calling for investigation into the alleged unsolicited and unauthorised campaign in the media in flagrant disregard to Extant Regulations by Chairman, Ikere Local Government Area, Mr Femi Ayodele”, was committed to the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for investigation, while Ayodele was asked to step down from office, pending the outcome of the matter.
Contributing during debate, Steven Aribasoye, Ikole Constituency 2 and Olajide Adegoke, Efon, described the action of the Ayodele as an embarrassment to the state government and Governor Fayemi in particular, as well as against the Electoral Act.
They called for appropriate sanction against Ayodele to serve as deterrent for others who they described as “sycophantic political office holders in the state”, just as the House later adjourned to Monday, August 24, for plenary.
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