Edo Speaker, Okonoboh, Impeached (Updated)

The Speaker, Edo state House of Assembly, Justin Okonoboh was on Monday sacked from office.

He has been replaced by Honourable Kabiru Ajoto who was elected as the new Speaker, by the lawmakers.

The new Speaker was the former principal officer of the House and represents Akoko Edo I.
Okonoboh’s sack as the Speaker followed an earlier impeachment notice signed by 16, out of the 24 members of the state House of Assembly. Three other members of the Assembly later appended their signatures to make up the number to 19members who endorsed the impeachment.

Soon after the action, the new leadership announced that Okonoboh, his deputy, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie; and the former Majority Leader, Mr. Foly Ogedengbe, had been placed on suspension for three months.

The impeachment came just as the Assembly reconvened having been on break for oversight functions for the past 26 days.

As the Assembly resumed sitting on Monday, Emmanuel Agbaje, was said to have read a letter of a vote of no confidence on the floor of the House.

Another member, Sylvanus Eruaga, who represents Etsako West II, had therefore requested that Okonoboh vacate the exalted seat. The request was said to have left the Assembly in commotion as some of the members began to fight themselves.

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Okonoboh, it was learnt, had to leave the seat when he realised that the pressure was too much and that his colleagues are bent on removing him. As soon as he vacated the seat, Eruaga was said to have sat as Speaker pro tempore.

Some drama ensued at this point as another member, Magnus Igbas, descended on Erauga. His efforts to stop the sacking of Okonoboh however amounted to exercise in futility as the resolute majority members of the Assembly, later elected Ajoto as the new Speaker.

Meanwhile,Okonoboh has described the impeachment as illegal with claims that the House did not form a quorum.

 

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