Adelugba elected as Ekiti Assembly first female Speaker

The lawmaker representing Emure Constituency, Olubunmi Adelugba, has been elected as the first female Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Adelugba made history on Monday following the impeachment of Gboyega Aribisogan as the Speaker of the Assembly.

Aribisogan was also suspended indefinitely alongside his six loyalists by the lawmakers.

Following his impeachment, he was immediately replaced with the House’s Chief Whip, Adelugba, who had earlier lost the election to Aribisogan on November 15.

Adelugba was however elected as the new Speaker by 17 lawmakers present at an emergency plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hakeem Jamiu, amidst tight security around the Assembly complex on Monday.

Shortly after her election, the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance were administered on Adelugba.

READ ALSO: Coup and counter-coup: Ekiti Assembly impeaches Speaker

She became the first female Speaker in the history of the Assembly since the return to democracy in 1999, and in the 26-year-old history of the state.

Speaking, the new Speaker thanked her colleagues for counting her worthy to be elected as the speaker, promising not to take their trust and confidence reposed in her for granted.

She, therefore, adjourned the House’s sitting sine die (indefinitely).

Before the adjournment, six lawmakers were suspended for allegedly compromising the process of the election that produced Aribisogan as the Speaker on November 15.

They were also accused of unpatriotic and unparliamentary conduct, capable of threatening the peace of the state.

The Deputy Speaker added that the impeached Speaker and six others were suspended without pay with immediate effect.

He said they have also been barred from 1.5 kilometres radius of the premises of the House.

The Star