We have not endorsed candidate for Ogun Assembly Speaker seat – Abiodun, APC

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun says he has not endorsed any candidate for the State House of Assembly Speaker position ahead of Monday’s inauguration of the ninth assembly.

Daily Trust reports that the outgoing Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo (Ifo I constituency) and Elemide Oludaisi (Odeda constituency) are the two contenders, battling for the position from Ogun Central, the senatorial district favoured to produce next speaker following the unwritten zoning arrangement.

Our correspondent gathered that the governor and the leaders of the party had not reached a consensus on the choice of the next speaker as they were divided alongside the two candidates.

It was further gathered that the governor had subtly backed one of the candidates and have mobilised his foot-soldiers to ensure his preferred candidate emerges on Monday.

But the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kunle Somorin, on Saturday, told Daily Trust that Abiodun had not endorsed any candidate for the Speaker position.

“That’s not true. The legislature is an independent arm of the government and I can assure you that the executive will not interfere in the activities of the assembly. So, the governor has not nominated or endorsed anybody,” Somorin said in a telephone interview.

Also speaking with Daily Trust, the Spokesman of the State’s Caretaker Committee of APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, said the leadership of the party had not endorsed anybody for the speaker position.

“The leadership of the party has not endorsed anybody. It’s left for the members of the assembly to determine who their leader would be. As a party, we have not decided or resolved on any particular person as at the time I am talking to you,” he said.

On the division, he said “I am not aware of any division among leaders of the party over the speakership. But we have not decided on anybody. Don’t forget that members of the house are party members from across the Local Government Areas, so it’s not impossible that they may have relationship with their party leaders.”