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Seventeen members of the Edo State House of Assembly, 14 of whom have been locked out in the cold by Governor Godwin Obaseki since last year, elected a new speaker today.
He is Victor Edoror, a former speaker.
He was inaugurated at an undisclosed venue after a motion for the impeachment of Frank Okiye was not opposed.
The minority members said to have shrunk to five, with Frank Okiye as their speaker, meet at the Governors Office, while Governor Obaseki said he was renovating the premises of the State Assembly.
The original 14 majority members now have with them three other members, from the 10 Obaseki and the clerk of the assembly inaugurated last year.
They are Mr. Sunday Aghedo, (APC Ovia SW) and Ohio Ezoma.
Aghedo moved a motion signed by the entire members calling for Okiye’s impeachment. It was seconded by Ezomo (APC Owan West).
The motion nominating Edoror was moved by Washington Osifo (APC Uhunmwonde) and was seconded by Eric Okaka (APC, Owan East).
Mr Chris Okaeben (APC, Oredo West) moved the motion that got Emma Agbaje (APC, Akoko-Edo II) who acted as Speaker ex tempore, elected as Deputy Speaker.
Before the election, 12 out of the 14 members who were not sworn in last year took their oaths administered by a former Clerk of Edo Assembly, Tom Efezokhae.
Following the inaugural sitting, Edoror announced that plenary will resume on Friday, 7th August 2020.
When contacted for reaction, the Clerk of Edo Assembly, Mr. CYaya Omogbai said; “I don’t talk to press, meet my PRO please.”
Minority Speaker of Edo Assembly, Frank Okiye, had raised the alarm over a planned hijack of the Assembly complex at the Ring Road in Benin.
Meanwhile, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Sept. 19 Edo Governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has congratulated the newly-elected Speaker of the Edo Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, describing his emergence as the end of a deformed and lopsided democracy.
Hon. Victor Edoror of Esan Central constituency emerged Speaker on Thursday in an emergency plenary session attended by 17 elected members of the House of Assembly, while Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje of Akoko-Edo Constituency II was elected as Deputy Speaker.
The emergency plenary session impeached Hon. Frank Okiye and Roland Asoro as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively and nullified all previous actions taken by the 7th Assembly.
In a congratulatory message signed by Mr. John Mayaki, the Chairman of the APC State Media Campaign Council, Ize-Iyamu said the emergence of Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror as Speaker is a victory for Edo State and all constituencies previously denied representation.
He said: “I am happy to receive the news of the emergence of Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror as the Speaker of the Edo State House Assembly.”
“His emergence marks an end to a lopsided and deformed democracy, ushering in a new and reformed era of inclusive governance and non-discriminatory politics.”
“Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror’s emergence is also a victory for the people of Edo State, for the constituencies previously sidelined, and for the House-members’ elect who had been unfairly denied their elective right to represent their constituencies in government.”
“Personally, as someone who has known Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror for a long time, I am convinced by the great personality he is; I am sure that this joy sweeping across Edo as the shackles of tyranny breaks today, will not be temporary.”
“As a true democrat and a progressive, and as someone who came to leadership through and after a tomentous and elongated period of political persecution, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror knows the sour taste of injustice and as such would not let any one more Edo person experience such bitter tang.”
“Backed by an overwhelming majority, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror is demonstrably the people’s choice for the position. And it is in line with common sense that for an individual to sway such massive support, he must have demonstrated great qualities admired and necessary for leadership and development, and as such is being trusted with the enormous task of piloting the House from its darkest moments as cast into by the reprehensible divide-and-rule politics of the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki.”
“I send my congratulations to Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror while at the same time encouraging him to set a good example with the opportunity of leadership God has given to him today.”