2023: How Ekiti lawmakers elected Aribisogan as new speaker against Fayemi’s candidate

Facts emerged on Tuesday on what played out in the election of Gboyega Aribisogan as the new speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly following the death of the former speaker, Funminiyi Afuye.

Afuye who represented Ikere Constituency 1 at the Assembly died on October 19 at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and was buried last Friday in his country home, Ikere-Ekiti.

The new speaker, Aribisogan who hails from Ijesha-Isu in Ikole Local Government Area, in the North senatorial district of the state defeated his only challenger for the number one legislative seat, Bunmi Adelugba representing Emure constituency.

The election conducted by the clerk of the house, Tola Esan was keenly contested with the newly elected speaker scoring a total of 15 votes to defeat Adelugba who polled 10 scores.

Aribisogan was sworn in at the plenary on Tuesday by the clerk of the House, announcing that 25 members voted with no invalid votes recorded.

Aribisogan was nominated by Tajudeen Akingbolu, Ekiti West 1 and seconded by Adegoke Olajide, Efon Constituency, while Bode Adeoye Oyekola, Ekiti West 2 nominated Adelugba and was seconded by Ojo Martin, Ijero constituency.

Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that Adelugba is the preferred candidate of the former governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi while Aribisogan was the choice of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and some aggrieved lawmakers who were denied return tickets for the 2023 general election.

According to a source close to the politics that played out in Tuesday’s election, the aggrieved lawmakers voted against Adelugba as a payback for Fayemi who allegedly worked against their return to the House during the primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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The source said, “The truth of the matter is that these lawmakers today (Tuesday) proved a point that the former governor and his wife cannot determine for them again who will be their leader in the house, especially now that majority of them are not returning to the House next year.

“The new speaker (Aribisogan) was not given a return ticket and others too who voted for him against the female lawmaker, who lost the House of representatives ticket to the incumbent, Femi Bamisile.

“Let me also add that the new governor believes that the speaker should be from the North for power balance, knowing full well that the governor is from the central, his deputy from South and the speaker naturally should be from the North but the former governor and his wife thought otherwise, hence the resort to voting during the plenary when consensus moves failed.”

Speaking, Esan said that the election was peaceful, credible, free and fair, that the process met all required guidelines prescribed by the House standing order.

“With these results, I hereby declare Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan who polled 15 votes, winner and is hereby returned as the new Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly,” he said .

After being sworn-in as the new speaker, Aribisogan expressed gratitude to his colleagues for finding him worthy to lead the House.

He promised to justify the confidence reposed in him and discharge his duties to the best of his ability and protect the constitution of the country and standing rules of the House of Assembly, adding that he would remain committed to duty.

In a related development, a new set of principal officers have emerged in the Ekiti State House of Assembly following the emergence of Aribisogan as Speaker.

The new list of the principal officers have Hakeem Jamiu retaining his position as Deputy Speaker while Yemisi Ayokunle, representing Ekiti South West is the new Leader of Business, thus becoming the first woman legislator to occupy the post in the history of the House.

Other principal officers are Tope Ogunleye, Chief Whip; Tajudeen Akingbolu, the Deputy Leader; and Adeteju Okuyiga as Deputy Whip.