The political history of Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly has always been filled with inconsistency and questions right from his days as Secretary General of the National Union of Nigerian Students to when he served as President of the National Union of Nigerian Students in Romania, between 1980 and 1981.
Not only have posers been severally thrown his way in relation to his questionable style of leadership in the house, but in his private life too. Those who have been following Ikuforiji politically would adjudged him Mr. Controversy of the Lagos State House of Assembly, without mincing words.
His role in the attempt to usurp the second term ambition of the incumbent governor Babatunde Fashola, before the latter eventually gained the blessing of his political godfather Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to contest the election can not be overstated, as he was alleged to have personally sponsored majority of the petition written against the governor then.
Years back , specifically 2009, he was also instrumental in kicking out Hon. Funmi Tejuosho from the post of Deputy Speaker, as it was during an unscheduled sitting that the soft-spoken and amiable lady was removed from the office.
As if that is not sad enough, the high level of manipulation with which the man crossed from his Epe constituency 1 from which he was elected to represent the constituency in 2003, to Ikeja 1 constituency in order to be reelected in 2011, remains a painful and indelible mark on the minds of those whose interest and ambitions were sacrificed for his return to office.
Again, earlier this year, sometime in February, Ikuforiji’s name came up again in the radar of controversy when he was accused of an alleged adultery scandal involving him and a lady working in the House of Assembly. Then, the husband of the lady simply identified as Mr. Ogundele, was said to have embarrassed the speaker for his alleged extra marital affairs with his wife. Those who were at the scene said it took the intervention o f some people around to manage the situation.
There is no gain over emphasizing the currents travail which the man and his ex banker aide Oyebode Atoyebi, are facing for accepting about N673 million cash payment from the House of Assembly without going through a financial institution.
According to The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the accused were first arraigned on March 1, 2012. They were re-arraigned on an amended 54-count charges, before a 1 billion Naira bail condition was slammed on them which has since been paid with the case adjourned.
Presently, Ikuforiji is even been alleged of always going against the decisions of the party each time they are made and this we were informed has seen him in a face off with the Legal Adviser of their party, Muiz Banire.
Political observers of the downward slide which the Speaker has found himself are insisting that Ikuforiji is a drowning man and it is only a matter of time before he gets caught in the web of politics.
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