SUSPENDED member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, has failed to appear before a panel set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to probe the allegations of anti-party activities leveled against him.
The five-man panel, which sat on Thursday had invited him but he shunned it and the members said he didn’t state any reason for his refusal to appear before them.
However, Aribisogan was reported to have earlier announced, while featuring on a radio programme in Akure, Ondo State, that he would not appear before the panel.
He was said to have alleged that the members of the panel were biased and already had a predetermined conclusion.
But chairman of the panel, Ayodele Michael, said members “waited for over three hours at the PDP secretariat in Ado Ekiti but the lawmaker refused to show up.”
Other members of the panel are: Chief Bisi Kolawole, the Commissioner for Environment; Olayinka Olomofe, Dapo Olagunju (Secretary) and Tolulope Awoniyi.
The factional Chairman of the party, Gboyega Oguntuase, on Monday constituted the panel based on allegation that the lawmaker was fraternising with members of the opposition.
Aribisogan had been at loggerheads with Governor Ayodele Fayose over accusation that he held a secret meeting with those perceived to be enemies of the state governor.
This allegation, which could not be resolved politically snowballed into his suspension last year October by the State House of Assembly for 181 legislative days, which will expire by August, according to the speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti, Ayodele said: “Sadly, Hon Aribisogan didn’t show up. We waited for him for hours but he decided not to honour our invitation.
“However, we are writing our report which will be submitted by next week Wednesday to the State Working Committee, because we were given seven days to complete the trial.
“We are going to rely on the paper submitted by the PDP ward and local government chairmen in Ijesa Isu Ekiti and Ikole local government respectively as regards his conduct over the allegation.
He was alleged to be engaging in act that were injurious to our party and that we are addressing.
“The two chairmen had submitted their reports and it was on that we are basing our report and after the submission, the SWC will take appropriate action,” he said.