Ekiti Seventh Assembly Inaugurated, Aribasoye is new Speaker

Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has inaugurated the Seventh Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday with tgr new lawmakers swearing to their oath of office.

It was a colourful environment as families of the new legislators and supporters as well well-meaning people from their constituencies joined the lawmakers during the event.

The new Assembly was inaugurated through a proclamation letter forwarded by the Governor Oyebanji and read by the Clerk, Mr. Tola Esan, amidst cheers and ovation in the hallowed chamber.

The ceremony was also witnessed by former members of the Assembly, traditional rulers, party leaders and other invited guests from all parts of the state and beyond.

Mr. Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye from Ikole Constituency 2 was elected Speaker while Mrs. Bolaji Adediwura Egbeyemi-Olagbaju from Ado Constituency 2 was elected as the Deputy Speaker.

Until his election as Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aribasoye served as the Chief Whip of the Sixth Assembly and also as the Chairman of House Committee on Media and Public Affairs (official spokesman of the House).

Rt. Hon. Egbeyemi-Olagbaju’s last appointment in government was as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Empowerment during the administration of the immediate past Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi before she resigned to contest for the Assembly seat for her Constituency.

The Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Esan, who oversaw the election of the two presiding officers also administered the oath of membership, the oath of allegiance on them and the oath as Speaker and Deputy Speaker on the duo.

The motion nominating Rt. Hon. Aribasoye for the position of Speaker was moved by the re-elected member representing Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency 1, Hon. Femi Akindele and was seconded by the re-elected member representing Ekiti East Constituency 2, Hon. Lateef Akanle.

The motion nominating Rt. Hon. Egbeyemi-Olagbaju for the seat of Deputy Speaker was moved by the re-elected member representing Gbonyin Constituency, Hon. Adeteju Okuyiga and was seconded by the re-elected member representing Ido/Osi Constituency 1, Hon. Abiodun Fawekun.

In his acceptance speech, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aribasoye pledged that the Seventh Assembly’s actions would be in the best interest of the people of Ekiti State urging the support of all stakeholders including the civil society, traditional rulers, the media, the bureaucracy and the constituents to achieve success in their stewardship.

The Speaker promised that his leadership would work with the two other arms of government-the executive and the judiciary-to work in harmony for the prosperity of Ekiti State and promote the state’s economic development by enacting laws that would enhance job creation and better the standard of living of the people.

Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye, new Speaker

Rt. Hon. Aribasoye assured that the legislature would work with Governor Biodun Oyebanji to help him achieve his vision for the development of the state and keep Ekiti working towards Shared Prosperity agenda encapsulated in his Six Pillars for Ekiti Development.

He also paid tributes to all his predecessors in office and all former leaders and members of the Assembly promising to build on the solid foundation they had laid to make the state realize its full potentials as a vibrant state.

The new Assembly adjourned sine die (indefinitely) after the inaugural session.

Other principal officers emerged at the event shortly after the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, read the letters received from the two parties nominating their choices for the positions of principal officers.

The APC nominated Hon. Michael Tolulope Ige from Ekiti Southwest Constituency 2 (Ogotun and Igbara Odo) as the new Majority Leader while the position of the Deputy Majority Leader went to Hon. Oluyomi Ebenezer Ayorinde from Ido/Osi Constituency 2.

The new member representing Efon Constituency, Hon. Bosede Olowookere emerged as the Chief Whip while her counterpart from Emure Constituency, Hon. Maryam Ogunlade got the position of the Deputy Chief Whip.

Apart from the Speaker, Majority Leader and Deputy Majority Leader, other legislators nominated for the principal officers’ positions by the APC are women (Egbeyemi-Olagbaju, Olowookere and Ogunlade).

The only legislator nominated for the position of a principal officer by the SDP was the member representing Ekiti East Constituency 1, Hon. Dele Ogunsakin who emerged as the new Minority Leader.

The Speaker explained that the SDP could only produce one principal officer because the party, with just two legislators, scored less than 25 per cent of the total membership strength of the Assembly (26 seats).

Apart from the Speaker, other principal officers are first timers in the Assembly. The Seventh Assembly has nine (9) returning members who were all produced by the APC.

In the new Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has twenty four (24) members while the minority party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has two (2) members in the 26-member State Parliament.