Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Frank Abumere Okiye and six other members of the Assembly, yesterday, formally defected from the All Progressives Congress, (APC), to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the floor of the House.
Announcing the defection at plenary, Okiye said he had received letters from the six members including himself, expressing their desires to defect to the ruling party in the state so as to identify with the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki to move the state forward.
He hinged their action relied on alleged sharp divisions and factions in the All Progressives Congress in the state as one of the reasons they decided to defect to the PDP, to enable them to perform their duties effectively as representative of their constituencies.
Others who defected with Okiye are Hon. Asoro Osadebamwen Roland, Hon. Aluebhosele Ephraim, Hon. Ojiezele Osezua Sunday, Hon. Okhuarobor Henry, Hon. Okoduwa Emma and Hon. Marcus Onobun.
Recall that all the 24-member House were elected on the platform of the APC but only nine members were inauguration on June 17, 2019, when Governor Obaseki issued the proclamation for the house to convene.
Folllowing crisis which engulfed the APC, Governor Obaseki himself defected to the PDP when he failed to secure the party’s ticket while the remaining 14 members-elect were on August 6, 2020, inaugurated.
Meanwhile, the Assembly, yesterday, adopted the Business Calendar for the Second Quarter, Second Session of the 7th Assembly 2020.
Presenting the report to the House the Majority Leader, Hon. Okhuarobo Henry, said that the Calendar would see the House sitting for 62 days in the second quarter; three (3) days in September; 21 days in October; 21 days in November and 17 days in December.
In the same vein, the Speaker, Frank Okiye, announced the receipt of “A Bill for a Law to Establish a College of Education and other connected purposes” from the Executive Governor of the state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
He congratulated Governor Obaseki and his Deputy, Rt.Hon Phillip Shaibu, on their victory at the just concluded governorship election.
According to the Speaker, the victory was a victory for the Edo people, whom he noted, spoke with one voice at the poll and urged them to be magnanimous in victory.
The House thereafter adjourned to October 12, 2020 at 10am.