On Tuesday, indigenes of Ilaje, the coastal areas of Ondo, protested against the state House of Assembly’s move to impeach Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The protesters, under the aegis of the Ilaje World Congress (IWC), shut down the entrance to the State House of Assembly and prevented vehicular movement for several hours.

Armed with placards bearing different inscriptions, the protestors described the plot against Mr Aiyedatiwa “as an act of injustice” against the people of the mandate area.

Some placards’ inscriptions read, “Justice For Lucky”, “Lucky Is Innocent”, “Stop Alleging Him Wrongly”; ” Ilaje Nation Stand With Aiyedatiwa”; “Aketi, Lucky Is Not Your Enemy,” as the protestors chanted solidarity songs.

Ola Judah, a spokesman for the group, described the impeachment plot against the deputy governor as an injustice and a means to deprive the people of Ilaje a space in the governance.

Mr Judah noted that Mr Aiyedatiwa is the “son of the soil” and has not committed the offences and allegations raised by the legislators against him.

While warning the two legislators from Ilaje in the House of Assembly not to join their colleagues in the plot against Mr Aiyedatiwa, Mr Judah vowed that they were ready to ensure that the impeachment move of the deputy governor does not stand.

“Ilaje people have not sent any of the House of Assembly members to sign any impeachment notice because they have not come back to tell us that he (Aiyedatiwa) has committed any offence. Neither has Aketi told us that our son commits any offence.

“The cabals came together saying, the first time that Aiyedatiwa beat his wife, they also said he wee in the toilet. Now they claimed he bought an SUV. Already, they withdrew that and said it was gross misconduct. Again, they would say he wants Aketi dead.

“Akeredolu thinks that he would chase away Lucky, then he shouldn’t worry. Next year, we will have an election and pay him back in the same coin. We will wait for Aketi if he thinks he will impeach Aiyedatiwa,” said Mr Judah.

The protestors later took their agitation to the Ondo governor’s office, where they were all scared away by armed police officers at the entrance.

The protest is coming amid plans by the State House of Assembly lawmakers to impeach Mr Aiyedatiwa over an allegation of gross misconduct.

On Monday, the State House of Assembly directed the state’s chief judge, Olusegun Odusola, to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Mr Aiyedatiwa.

This came after the assembly served the deputy governor with the notice of the allegations, which is the first formal step in impeachment proceedings against the number two official of the state.