UPDATED: Edo Assembly Impeaches Deputy Speaker, Idiaye

The Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Yekini Idiaye, has been impeached, The PUNCH has learnt.

He was impeached on Wednesday during a plenary session of the Assembly in Benin City, the state capital.

It was also gathered that the House subsequently elected the member representing Orhionmwon II Constituency, Roland Asoro, to replace Idiaye as Deputy Speaker.

With about six weeks to the September 19 governorship election in Edo, the political atmosphere gets turbo-charged day after day.

Some of the lawmakers announced their decision during a solidarity visit to the private residence of Ize-Iyamu in Benin City on Monday and assured him of their loyalty to ensure his victory at the poll.

Idiaye, a critic of the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration, had said, “There is no reason for me to defect to another party because there is no single project in my village to show under this present administration. I am from Somorika in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area and my village is the most backward in Akoko-Edo.

“There are clear reasons why we are standing for our party because what would have been our problem in making progress has left us. I want to assure Edo people that with the emergence of Ize-Iyamu, Edo will move forward.”

Obaseki, who is seeking reelection on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, had dumped APC following his disqualification from the party’s primary.

He would be facing Ize-Iyamu, as well as other political juggernauts in Edo politics, come September 19.

PUNCH