Okiye Removed as Edo Assembly Speaker

The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday impeached Mr. Frank Okiye as its Speaker and replaced him with Mr Marcus Onobun.

Marcus Onobun is the PDP  member representing Esan West Constituency.

Nine out of the 10 legislators signed Okiye’s impeachment  during Monday’s plenary with deputy speaker, Emma Agbaje presiding.

The impeachment of the speaker followed a motion moved by the leader of the House, Mr Henry Okhuarobo and seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo one in the Assembly, Prince Yekini Idaiye.

Thereafter, the member representing Igueben state constituency, Mr Ephraim Aluebhosele moved a motion to nominate the new speaker and it was seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo two state constituency, Mr Emmanuel Agbaje.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr Roland Asoro who presided over the plenary after the impeachment put the motion to a voice vote where it enjoyed the support of all the members at plenary.

The new speaker, Mr Marcus Onobun upon his election, thanked the members for his election as new speaker of the house.

He thereafter dissolved all the house standing committees and relieved all the appointees of the house of their appointments.

Mr Onobun also constituted a three man committee to look into financial records of the house under the leadership of the former speaker and also placed the former speaker under three months suspension to allow for a peaceful transition.

But Mr Okiye through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Onomon Ojomon said in a telephone interview, that it is not true.

He said, “the situation is dicey. I don’t know what is going to be the outcome; though they they took that action, it is not straight forward”.

The Assembly of 24-members has had only 10 of them who were inaugurated on June 21, 2019 holding plenary.