Ativie had been impeached and suspended as Deputy Speaker for three months on August 14 by 19 members of the House over alleged misconduct.
The House had, through its clerk, also directed Ativie, the lawmaker representing Uhunmwode Constituency under the All Progressives Congress, to return her official vehicles, comprising a 2016 Lexus SUV, one Toyota Prado and two Toyota Hilux vans.
But Ativie had told her colleagues that the vehicles were given to her for personal use in a letter by Oshiomhole for the sacrifices she made for the peace of the state when she stepped down as Speaker in June.
Her lawyer, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, had in a media report (not PUNCH) on Thursday called for a forensic analysis of the ex-governor’s signature in order to verify its authenticity.
He had also advocated that the former governor be charged to court for allegedly deceiving Ativie “into believing that he had the power to give her the vehicles.”
But the lawmaker described the publication as shocking, adding she never authorised him to do so.
She also said that she had kept silent over the controversy surrounding the ownership of the vehicles due to her belief in the ability of her party to address the issue.
Ativie said, “I never authorised him (Afolabi) to publish such a comment against the leader (Oshiomhole) of my party, the APC in the state and someone who all of us have high regard and respect for. I was shocked to read that (statement) in the papers and I want to apologise to my leader for any embarrassment that may have caused him.
“I have been passing through a lot all this while and I have not been in the press over the issue because I know and believe in the ability of the leaders of the party to handle the matter. I have been talking and discussing with party leaders in the state and they are finding a solution to the problem.
“So I was really embarrassed with that publication which tends to pitch me against my leader, Oshiomhole, who liberated our people from bondage in Edo state.”
Ativie also denied being in conflict with the former governor.
“Let me state clearly here that I have no quarrel with Oshiomhole. And all those trying to hijack the change of leadership in the state House of Assembly should steer clear because it is purely an internal matter of our party,” she said.
Meanwhile, amid the controversy surrounding the alleged refusal of Ativie to return her official vehicles, the Ministry of Justice has denied receiving any request for legal advice or action on the matter.
Apart from the clerk of the House who directed her to return her official vehicles, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Chris Azebamwan, had also stated that the party was awaiting legal advice on the issue from the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, to enable it to take an official position.
However, Omorogbe told our correspondent on Thursday that she had not been informed about the ex-governor’s recommendation.
“I have no comment to make. I have not been told about it formally or informally. You are the first person mentioning something like that,” Omorogbe said on the telephone.
On the legal advice sought by the APC, she said, “I actually don’t know anything about what you are saying.”
