– Egbedun To Emerge Speaker
Sodiq Yusuf
The leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has settled principal officer positions for the State of Osun House of Assembly members-elect.
The 26 members-elect will be inaugurated today by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that all is set for the election of Hon. Adewale Egbedun as the Speaker of the 8th assembly.
The medium exclusively gathered that the decision was reached after deliberations by stakeholders of the party, with the approval of Governor Adeleke.
READ ALSO: Osun: Owoeye-led 7th Assembly Winds Down With 32 Bills, 38 Resolutions
Egbedun is a Lawmaker-elect from Odo-Otin State Constituency. It is the first time a first-timer will be elected Speaker of the Assembly since the return of democracy in 1999.
The position has always been by parliamentary convention and law reserved for experienced lawmakers who have been elected at least for a term of four years.
The Osun State House of Assembly standing rule 4(a) prescribes 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”.
However, with the present arrangement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the new Speaker, who will be sworn-in alongside his 25 colleagues, will be elected alongside other principal officers of the assembly.
In the arrangement exclusively obtained by OSUN DEFENDER, the lawmaker-elect from Ife North State Constituency, Akinyode Oyewusi will become the Deputy Speaker.
Other principal officers expected to be elected today are: Hon. Babajide Kofoworola from Ede North Constituency – Majority Leader, Adekunle Oladimeji from Irepodun/Orolu Constituency – Deputy Majority Leader, Olawale Akerele from Ilesa West – Chief Whip and Afeez Ibrahim from Olaoluwa Constituency will become the Deputy Chief Whip.
Folorunso Ogundare representing Ayedaade constituency would be elected as the Leader (West Senatorial District), Kanmi Ajibola, Leader (East Senatorial District) while the
Leader (Central Senatorial District) is Kasope Abolarin from Ifedayo State Constituency.
Expectedly, the immediate-past Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Popoola will become the Minority Leader, as he is the only member of the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 8th Assembly.
The Lawmakers-elect are expected to be inaugurated by Governor Ademola Adeleke through a proclamation already sent to the Clerk of the parliament last Friday.
