Edo Assembly Speaker, Deputy, Majority Leader Impeached
The Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Dr. Justine Okonoboh, has been impeached. Also, the Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Elizabeth Arivie, and the Majority Leader, Foly Ogedengbe, were equally removed.
In their places, the assembly elected Kabir Adjoto (APC) representing Akoko-Edo constituency 1 as the substantive Speaker, while the former Speaker representing Esan Central constituency, Victor Edoror, was elected as the new Deputy Speaker, as well as Roland Asoro, representing Orhionmwon II state constituency, as the majority leader.
Speaking to journalists after the impeachment, Adjoto, the newly elected Speaker, said 16 members impeached the three principal officers, and after the impeachment, the numbers rose to 19 members.
He said the impeached principal officers have been suspended for three months as well as Magnus Izehi-Igbas (PDP) representing Esan North-East constituency II.
Adjoto stated that the impeached speaker ran the assembly as a private entity with his wife.
“The impeached speaker converted the assembly to a private estate. We are supposed to be 24 members in the assembly but he now co-opted his wife as 25th member who was now privileged to know all the operations of the assembly before the members.
“He also awarded contracts to himself without recourse to the standing rules and due process of the assembly,” he said.
Adjoto said they were elected to be a partner in the state project with the governor of the state whom he described as a performing governor.
Reacting to the impeachment, the embattled Majority Leader, Ogedengbe, described the action as null, void and unconstitutional.
O ge deng be said they were allegedly impeached by only 11 members which is a violation of two third majority.
He said 16 members have the constitutional power to impeach the principal officers, noting that it does not meet up with the two third majority.
With the latest development, the political tripod of the state has dramatically changed as Edo North now has the Speaker; Central district has the deputy while Edo South where Governor Godwin Obaseki hails from, now has the majority leader position.
The drama, according to THISDAY investigation, began at about 11:30a.m. when the assembly resumed sitting and the clerk commenced the proceeding of the day by calling roll calls.