Barely 48 hours after endorsing Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Deputy Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Yekini Idiaye, was Wednesday impeached ahead of the September 19, governorship election in the state.
Idiaye, who represents Akoko-Edo I state constituency, was impeached during a plenary session of the assembly presided over by the speaker, Hon. Frank Okiye.
The impeachment was sequel to a motion moved by Hon. Henry Okhuarobo seconded by Hon. Marcus Onobun.
“Mr. Speaker with me is a notice of impeachment of the deputy speaker of the house signed by two-third members of the house. The impeachment of the deputy speaker is on the ground of gross misconduct and divulging of official secrets,” he said.
Following the impeachment, Roland Asoro was elected as the deputy speaker.
Thereafter, Henry Okhuarobo, former chief whip was elevated to the position of house leader, while Marcus Onobun was made the chief whip and Sunny Ojiezele deputy leader.
Our correspondent reports that Ephraim Aluebhosele was named as deputy whip while Emmanuel Okoduwa was made a co-opted member of the principal officers’ council.
Daily Trust reports that with this development, the loyalists of Governor Godwin Obaseki, in the house have been reduced to eight members out of 10. Fourteen members-elect of the House of Assembly are yet to be inaugurated following the controversies that trailed the proclamation of the parliament last year.
Speaking to our reporter on phone, Idiaye described his removal as illegal.
He said his colleagues ganged up against him because of his refusal to defect to PDP with the seven members who plotted his impeachment.
According to him, the action of the seven members was illegal as they didn’t form a quorum, noting that he still remained the deputy speaker.
Media aide to Governor Obaseki, the PDP governorship candidate, Crusoe Osagie, said the impeachment of the deputy speaker will not affect the victory of his boss in the forthcoming election.
On his part, a chieftain of the APC, Henry Idahagbon, described the impeachment as illegal even as he said there was no properly constituted assembly in the state in the last one year.
Meanwhile, the State House of Assembly has accused Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and stakeholders of the APC of planning to ‘’import a fake mace into the state with a view to forcefully take over the Assembly.’’
The speaker of the assembly, Hon. Frank Okiye, who said this in a statement, yesterday in Benin, alleged that the plans were being perfected in collusion with the impeached deputy speaker, Yekini Idiaye.
Responding, the Commissioner for Special Projects of Imo State, Mr. Simon Ebegbulem, said: “I don’t even know what they are talking about because there is no House of Assembly in Edo State.”
He said the speaker and other house principal officers were already jittery because of the “imminent defeat” in the coming election.
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