Acting Ondo Assembly Speaker Refuses to Step Down after Akeredolu’s Intervention

Fresh crisis is brewing in the Ondo State House of Assembly as the Acting Speaker, Hon Malachi Coker is allegedly refusing to step down against the agreement reached at a peace meeting brokered by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Impeached former speaker of the house Mrs Jumoke Akindele had withdrawn her suit challenging her impeachment in honour of the agreement reached at the meeting.

Akindele, according to the agreement would resign her speakership and Coker would step down for a new leadership to emerge.

But Coker had reportedly refused to step down two weeks after Akindele had tendered her resignation letter in which she cited the need for peace to reign in the house and balance of political power, since the deputy governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi is from the same southern senatorial zone with her.

Official vehicles and other paraphernalia of office that were taken away from Akindele following her resignation were now being used freely by Coker, a situation that is tearing the house apart.

It was learnt that the Akindele group is feeling betrayed by the governor, on whose advice the speaker resigned based on the understanding that Coker would resign.

A member of the Akindele’s faction, Hon Siji Akindiose, said that there was something sinister about the manner Coker was carrying on the affairs of the house.

Akindiose said: “It was the agreement that the speaker should resign, and following that, Coker would step down to allow for a new leadership,” Mr. Akindiose explained.

“But you can see that they are not respecting the governor in this matter, Coker is busy gallivanting around as the speaker, he has even moved from acting speaker to speaker.

“So you can see that the issue is not about N15million fraud, it is about somebody trying to become speaker by all means.”

Akindiose also noted that there were powers within the Akeredolu government working to destroy the state legislature by undermining its sanctity.

According to him, the development has emboldened Coker and his supporters in holding on to the office instead of stepping down.

He said although there were rumours that some of the members were planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), he and the other 12 members in the Akindele group were determined to stick with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to ensure a virile democratic practice in the state.