The Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye has been impeached for alleged financial impropriety.
Okiye, who was sworn in as speaker of the house in a controversial circumstance in June 2019, was impeached by nine members of the ten legislators.
Following his impeachment, Marcus Onobun, representing Esan West constituency, was elected new speaker.
The impeached speaker was also suspended for three months to allow for a peaceful transition.
The motion for the impeachment was moved by Henry Okhuarobo, All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Ikpoba Okha and seconded by Yekini Idiaye, representing Akoko-Edo constituency 1.
Moving the motion for the impeachment, Okhuarobo said members have compelling reasons to effect the house’s leadership.
While noting that the impeachment of the speaker was long over due, he said they decided to wait for all political activities to be over before the change of leadership as well as the need to sustain the peace and harmony in the state.
“Irrespective of APC and PDP members in the house, we were all united to move the state forward. Staff were also in support of the impeachment”,he said
Okiye was already presiding at the plenary session before his impeachment.
Okiye who did not resist his impeachment, humbly vacated his seat for the Deputy Speaker of the house, Roland Asoro who presided over the plenary after the impeachment.
In his remarks, the new speaker, Marcus Onobun, thanked the members for his election as new speaker of the house.
He however, dissolved all the house standing committees and relieved all the appointees of the house by the impeached speaker of their appointments.
Onobun also constituted a three-man committee to look into financial records of the house under the leadership of the former speaker.
Idris Umar Momoh & Churchill Okoro, Benin
