Ripples of the sack of five members of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) by an Ado-Ekiti High Court has continued in the state, as the House of Assembly has scrapped the office of the minority leader and minority whip in the assembly.

The assembly took the decision on Tuesday, at a sitting that was said to have commenced “at about 5.00 p.m without the normal suspension of the time of sitting as prescribed by the standing orders of Ekiti State House of Assembly.”

Addressing newsmen on the development, on Thursday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House alleged that the action was “a punishment for what they perceived as our role in the disqualification of the members of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).”

The member representing Ekiti East II in the assembly, Mr Samuel Oyedele Ajibola, who addressed newsmen, said the assembly had, at the plenary session presided over by the speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, amend-ed Section 30 (1) of its standing orders, which gave room for the existence of minority leader and minority whip for the members of the opposition party.

According to Ajibola, the assembly amended the Order 30 to say that only a political party with a minimum of four members could occupy the positions, adding that this was an aberration that could not be understood.

On the allegation that they were lined up for suspension, which was denied by the leadership of the assembly, the lawmaker said the news of the political games in the assembly filtered through to the streets, “maybe that was why the plan was changed to this.”

The PDP lawmakers denied that they supplied the documents that led to the disqualification of the SIEC members, adding that “we do not know how the documents in contention got to the party.”

The appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to prevail on the assembly members to reverse the decision, adding that state would be an object of ridicule in the comity of states should the new rule be allowed to stay.

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