On June 6, 2019, the tenure of the members of the 6th Osun House of Assembly which began in 2015 will end. It will also signal the end of the 8 years tenure of the outgoing speaker, Dr Najeem Salaam who was unanimously returned 4 years ago after having his first stint between 2011 and 2015.
The Osun 7th Assembly will be expected to be inaugurated from that date by Governor Gboyega Oyetola. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC will have 23 seats while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 3 seats from the March 9, 2019 election.
The Assembly has few returning members than that of 2015. In fact, only two are notable from the last Assembly. They are Hon Timothy Owoeye from Ilesa East and Hon Babatunde Olatunji from Ife North state Constituency. These two members-elect are viewed by many political watchers as those in the race to clinch the number 3 seat in the state of Osun.
Hon Owoeye is returning for the 4th time after being one of the 11 lucky members from the then Action Congress AC to have made their way to the House of Assembly during the reign of the PDP in the state. He has also since 2011 held sway as the Majority Leader of the parliament.
In contention for the speakership of the next assembly of the state of Osun, it is believed by many to be a chance for Owoeye who has been in the business of lawmaking in the state for over a decade to be crowned speaker in the next few days.
Owoeye born on August 24th, 1972 holds a diploma in local government studies from Obafemi Awolowo University. He also has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Ekiti state University with Masters in Peace Building Development (MPBD) from the University of Ibadan.
As a politician, he has held the position of the councilor of ward 10, Ilesa East Local Government between 1999 and 2002 before heading to the state assembly. As a legislator, he is currently the chairman on Southwest Legislative Reform Implementation Committee (SLRIC), a posirion he has held from 2017 till date.
In the Osun Assembly, Owoeye has held several positions as Chairman, house committee on rules and business, Vice chairman house committee on local government and chieftaincy affairs office,
Member, house committee on rural and community Development, House committee on special Duties/regional integration among others.
Findings by our correspondent from close quarters within the rank and file of Osun APC reveal that Owoeye is touted among the big wigs and decision makers of the party as the next Speaker of the state assembly. Survey also indicates that while Owoeye is making consultations, appearing at public events and so on to garner the support of key stakeholders for his emergence, he is also highly favoured by his colleagues; most of who will be first timers in the 7th Assembly.
Sources say Owoeye enjoys the unflinching support of the immediate past administration in the state, top echelon of the party, opinion leaders and some key men of the incumbent administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
On the other hand, Hon Babatunde Olatunji who is going for his second term as a member of the Osun state house of Assembly is a Public Finance expert and a former banker. He hails from Edunabon in Ife North Local Government and his first attempt at accessing public office is his election into the parliament in 2015. He is the chairman of the House committee on commerce, cooperatives and empowerment.
In the last four years, Olatunji’s youthfulness has shaped his performance as most of his constituency relations and activities have been targetted mostly at the Youths of the state of Osun. His financial acumen and intelligence is also a strength of the lawmaker who has been praised severally for his important contributions at the floor during plenary.
Unlike Owoeye, Olatunji’s perceived eye at the Speakership of the 7th Osun state house of Assembly is only a subject of debate as the lawmaker has neither made his intention to contest for the seat known or began consultations as at the time of filing in this report.