There was pandemonium at the Edo State House of Assembly, EDHA today as the Speaker, Dr Justin Okonoboh, was impeached by 19 out of the 24 members of the assembly.
Others impeached along with the Speaker include the Deputy Speaker, Hon Elizabeth Ativie and the Majority Leader Hon. Foly Ogedegbe.
Hon. Kabiru Adjoto from Akoko Edo I Constituency emerged as the new Speaker in what loyalists to the impeached Speaker described as a ‘coup’ and illegal.
Okonoboh was the third Speaker to be removed since the current Assembly was inaugurated in 2015.
At about 11.00am, no sooner than the house reconvened after a 6 days break, Hon Emmanuel Agbaje, read a letter of no confidence against the Speaker on the floor of the House.
Shortly after, a member Representing Etsako West II, Hon. Sylvania Eruaga, PDP, asked the Speaker to vacate his exalted seat, a development which led to a fight among both the anti and pro-Speaker lawmakers.
The situation was however brought under control as Anti-speaker lawmakers were outnumbered.
Addressing newsmen, the new Speaker, Hon. Kabiru Adjoto, regretted that the impeached Speaker was elected in error and cannot speak for Edo people.
He listed among others sins of the impeached Speaker to include alleged monumental fraud, greed, treachery, contract scam and gross misconduct.
He equally alleged that the Speaker had shut down the house for personal reason to attend to his son’s graduation abroad.
“We the undersigned House members of the Edo state House of Assembly met to suspend Hon Speaker and his Deputy, Hon. Elizabeth Ativie and Majority Leader. Our action followed due process met constitutional requirement.
Meanwhile, the impeached Speaker described his impeachment as illegal and cannot stand just as he equally pronounced suspension on Hon Adjoto, Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje, Hon. Victor Edoror for disrupting the peace of the house.
