Falana To Oyebanji: Play Your Constitutional Role As Ekiti Governor 

By Kehinde Yusuf

Foremost Human Rights Activist and radical lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana, SAN, has told the incumbent Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji to play his constitutional role as the Governor of the State.

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Femi Falana in a statement he personally signed and made available to Treasure Newspaper on Sunday evening called on the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji to allow the Ekiti State House of Assembly in the State to function. 

Falana in his statement, recalled, how, 

“last week, the members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly elected a new Speaker, Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan to replace Honourable Funminiyi Afuye who recently passed on”.

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Falana who maintained further, that, “even though the election of the new leaders of the House was adjudged fair and free, the Ekiti State Police Command was reported to have sealed off the House of Assembly complex based on intelligence report that some disgruntled elements were planning to set it ablaze and attack the democratically elected leaders of the House”.

Speaking further, the Ilawe Ekiti born radical lawyer and human rights activist, Barrister Femi Falana, “commended the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moronkeji Adesina for foiling the dubious plan of the criminally minded elements”. 

Falana however called on the Police Chief in Ekiti State to provide adequate security for the members of the House of Assembly in Ekiti State to discharge their constitutional duty of enacting laws for the State and to be able to attend to the matters of urgent importance in the State.  

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According to the Lagos based lawyer, he said, “he has been compelled to advise  the Chief Security Officer of Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji to take charge of the affairs of Ekiti State and ensure the immediate restoration of law and order in the House of Assembly to enable him to present the 2022 Appropriation Bill of the State”.

Falana also added, that, if appropriate steps are not taking, that the passage of the Ekiti State 2022 budget will be unduly delayed to the detriment of the development of the State. 

He used the opportunity to warn the enemies of democracy in the State that if the contrived crisis is not resolved as soon as possible to allow the Ekiti State House of Assembly to consider and pass the 2022 Budget that the Ekiti State Government may not be able to function in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

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