Oladipo Airenakho
Benin City – As earlier speculated, a reshuffle of the principal officers in the Edo State House of Assembly was on Monday effected on the floor of the Assembly, with the Speaker Rt. Honourable (Mrs) Elizabeth Ativie stepping down and exchanging position with her former Deputy, Honourable Justin Okonoboh.
The move is considered to be a balancing political manoeuvre by the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to correct the political imbalance caused by unceremonious impeachment and removal of Honourable Victor Edoror as Speaker of the Assembly in May this year.
The change which was peacefully effected is unprecedented in the annals of leadership removal in any of the Houses of Assemblies in Nigeria as it saw a first time lawmaker in the Edo Assembly made a Speaker over and above more experienced colleagues.
In May 2016, Honourable (Mrs) Elizabeth Ativie, an APC lawmaker from Uhunmwode Constituency had emerged the first female Speaker in the Assembly, and also in the South-South geopolitical zone, following the impeachment of Victor Edoror for alleged gross financial misconduct, dictatorial tendencies and high-handedness.
With the new development in the Assembly, Honourable Justin Okonoboh, an APC lawmaker in the House from Igueben Constituency now becomes the Speaker of the Assembly while Rt. Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie becomes his Deputy.
The motion for the new configuration in the House was moved by the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Honourable Folly Ogedengbe, an APC lawmaker from Owan East Constituency under matters of urgent public importance during plenary session.
The change, the Majority leader of the Edo Assembly said, was not a personal thing but a matter of public interest as it was being canvassed to correction the leadership imbalance in the political landscape of the party and state.
It is expected the move will defuse the tension caused by the perceived impeachment of Honourable Victor Edoror from Esan Central Senatorial District and the alleged marginalization of the people from the District in the leadership politics on the state.
The motion was seconded by the Deputy Majority Leader in the Assembly, Honourable Henry Okhuaroboh, after exhaustive debate by members of the House and was thereafter supported by 19 out of the 24 lawmakers in the Assembly.
Following this debate, the lawmakers suspended rule 1 sub 2, 20, 22 and 73 of the House which paved way for the former Deputy Speaker to swap position with the former Speaker.
The new Speaker, Justine Okonoboh, in his inaugural address likened his emergence as Edo Assembly Speaker to that of the former President Goodluck Jonathan by saying “I became deputy speaker of the house without lobby.
“I am now Speaker, again without lobby too. Some people have called me President Goodluck Jonathan, but I give praise to God.”
It was earlier speculated that the Hon. Ativie was paid N30m by the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to accept the new political arrangement in an attempt to correct the mistake caused by the imbalance in the zoning of APC positions in the state which had attracted backlash from members of the party from Esan Central Senatorial District.
