Ahead of the June 10 inauguration of the 10th Oyo State House of Assembly, the coast is clear for its current Speaker, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin and other present principal officers to return for another term as leaders of the Assembly.
This followed Governor Seyi Makinde’s open endorsement of Ogundoyin for another term, in what he called the need to have stability in government and giving people who had done well the opportunity to continue.
Speaking at the commissioning of transformers donated by Engineer Dotun Sanusi to some communities in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of the State, on Monday, Makinde spoke of a sweet collaboration with the state legislature that he would want to continue.
Makinde said: “When Baba Bayo Oyero spoke, he greeted the former speaker, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; the current Speaker, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin. I am not a member of the House of Assembly but I greet Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin who is Speaker today and will be the next Speaker.
“The House of Assembly members and I work hand in hand because we put the interest of the State first. In putting the interest of the State first, we must have stability in government.
“The people of the State appreciated the good work we had done and rewarded me with another term so anyone who has done well should be given the opportunity to continue the good work.”
Other principal officers set to return for another term are Honourable Abiodun Fadeyi (Deputy Speaker), Honourable Sanjo Adedoyin (Majority Leader), Honourable Samson Babalola (Deputy Majority Leader), Honourable Yusuf Oladeni Adebisi (Deputy Chief Whip).
Makinde’s open endorsement of Ogundoyin may have put paid to the ambition of a returning PDP lawmaker, Honourable Gbenga Oyekola of Atiba constituency who is also eyeing the Speakership seat.
Prior to Makinde’s pronouncement on Monday, the Speakership contest was tipped to be a two-horse race between Ogundoyin and Oyekola.
The deal for a return of Ogundoyin and other principal officers on the platform of the PDP had been sealed days ago after the state lawmakers on the platform of the PDP met with Makinde as well as the Oyo PDP leadership at the state Secretariat of the party in Ibadan.
Though the consensus from the meeting with the party leadership was that the status quo in terms of the principal officers should remain, both Ogundoyin and Oyekola said they would still defer to the governor’s body language and open pronouncement on the way the House of Assembly was to go for the 10th Assembly.
Oyekola’s contest for Speakership was premised on that Oyo Central Senatorial zone should produce the next Speaker since Oyo South has the governor and Oyo North has the deputy governor.
Oyekola had, however, pointed out that the direction of the governor was crucial in his Speakership ambition.
Should Oyo zone not produce the next Speaker, the party arrangement is that the zone may produce the next Chief Whip with the present Chief Whip not returning for the 10th Assembly.
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