The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State has passed a vote of confidence in the Deputy Governor of the State, Chief Mrs. Monisade Afuye.
In a release signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, the Party described Mrs Afuye as a party faithful, qualified, competent and loyal representative of the party in government.
According to Dipe, the Deputy Governor matches the Governor well, and there is no reason for anyone to call for her removal in office. Not only is such call unnecessary, the party also lacks the power to grant it.
Dipe noted that such power to remove a Governor or his deputy from office, if for any reason, is vested only the State House of Assembly, and cannot be applied recklessly or arbitrarily, rather after following the due process laid down in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) 1999.
Some faceless persons under the guise of an unregistered group have been circulating an unsigned release, demanding for the removal of Chief Mrs. Afuye as deputy governor, citing unsubstantiated academic qualification as their ground.
On the matter of academic qualification, the Constitution is crystal clear in Section 177 that the minimum qualification required of a governor and deputy governor is a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent as recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Also, it is only the State House of Assembly that can remove either the governor or the deputy governor and the ground for which any or both of them can be removed is that of gross misconduct.
Section 189(11) describes gross misconduct for which a governor or deputy governor can be removed as “a grave violation or breach of the provisions of the Constitution or a misconduct of such nature as amounts in the opinion of the House of Assembly as gross misconduct.”
As noted from the above, it is crystal clear that neither a person not group of persons can raise their voice(s) against the sitting governor or his deputy for a jejune reason not provided for in the Constitution.
Dipe then called on the good people of the State to disregard the call by the mindless group as an intention to create a distraction in governance.
Speaking generally on the conduct of Chief Afuye, APC said that she was good mannered, trusted and tested representative of the party in government.
“We can further confirm that Chief Afuye is a good compliment of the governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, BAO, in the day to day running of the affairs of the State. The governor on the other hand has not for once complained of Mrs Afuye’s performance in office as deputy governor,” Dipe said.