Osun 8th Assembly: Speakership Tears Members-Elect Apart

Ismaeel Uthman

• Aggrieved Prospective Lawmakers Approach Court To Pave Way For First Timer

CRISIS has begun to erupt the coming 8th House of Assembly in the State of Osun before its inauguration, investigations have revealed.

OSUN DEFENDER authoritatively gathered that the 25 of 26 members-elect of the assembly are currently divided over the speakership position and other principal offices. 

READ: Boripe/Boluwaduro Inconclusive As PDP Records Overwhelming Majority In Osun Assembly Election

The 25 members-elect are all from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

Some of the prospective lawmakers, it was gathered, are scheming to disrupt the legislative practice, conventional and traditional process of electing a ‘ranking member’ as Speaker of the Assembly. 

A ranking member means that a lawmaker that has spent more than a term at the assembly. 

However, findings revealed that only five members-elect for the 8th assembly are ranking members. they are: Hon. Olaide Ajibola (Olorunda Constituency), Hon. Adewumi Kofoworola (Ede North Constituency), Hon. Adeyemi Adewumi (Obokun Constituency), Tajudeen Adeyemi (Ifelodun) and the current Deputy Speaker, Hon. Femi Popoola (Boripe/Boluwaduro Constituency).

But Popoola could not be considered for the speakership position because he is the only member from All Progressives Congress (APC).

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that leadership of the PDP has zoned the speaker of the 8th assembly to Osun Central senatorial district, leaving Ajibola and Adeyemi to the race. 

However, some of the members-elect have rejected the move on the ground that there is nothing wrong for a first-timer to become the speaker of the assembly.

Two of the aggrieved members-elect, Hon. Akinyode Oyewusi (Ife North Constituency) and Bamidele Lawal (Osogbo Constituency) have jointly approach an Osun State High Court on the matter.

Oyewusi and Lawal are seeking a declaration of the court that the provision of Rule 4(a) of the Osun State House of Assembly Legislative Standing Rules is inconsistent with the provision of Section 92(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Rule 4(a) of the Assembly Standing Rules states that “A Member-elect, addressing the Clerk, shall propose a ranking member-elect from the majority party that such member-elect, “Do take the Chair of the House as Speaker of the House of Assembly” provided such a nomination shall be seconded by another Member-elect”.

The lawmaker stated that the Standing Rule negates the spirit of Section 92 (1) of the 1999 Constitution which simply states that “There shall be a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly who shall be elected by the members of the House from among themselves.”