Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly steps down

Nigeria: The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, has stepped down from the position and replaced by the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, who got the support of 18 members out of the 24 members of the House.

Mrs. Ativie was sworn in May ‎3 after her predecessor, Victor Edoror, was impeached for the abuse of power.
Mrs. Ativie decided to step down after a motion was raised by the Majority Leader, Folly Ogedengbe, under matters of urgent public importance, for a change in House leadership.
‎

According to Ogedengbe, the change was inevitable to establish equity in the political system, so that the three senatorial districts of the state would be duely represented.

The State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, hails from Edo North senatorial district while his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, and Ativie hail from Edo South senatorial district.
Okonoboh represents Igueben constituency in Edo Central senatorial district.

Rules 1(2), 20, 22 and 73 of the House were relaxed before the member representing Owan East ‎constituency adviced Ativie to step down for the Igueben lawmaker to take over the office of the speaker while Ative assume the office as his deputy.
In a motion Ogedengbe said;

“I going to move that there is a change of leadership in the House in order that this state moves forward, that there will be fairness and equity in the system, that the three senatorial districts will be properly accommodated. I am going to move with a heavy heart.

“I move, therefore, that the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, should step down and assume office as Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and that the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, be promoted as the new Speaker.‎”

Ogedengbe noted that 17 members of the House voted in support of the change in leadership.
The motion was seconded by the member representing Oredo West, Chris Okaeben.

While accepting the change, Mrs. Ativie said that her short term in office recorded huge achievements as the House members worked as a team, commending the lawmakers for giving her the opportunity to serve and adviced the House to accord same to her successor.
She said,

“Although this is a huge a difficult sacrifice to make, I believe that it should be done for the sake of the people of Edo State. No sacrifice will be too big to pay in meeting the yearning aspirations of or people, who elected us to this House‎.

“Today, I bury my pride and my ambition for the general good of the people and the state, through which I emerged as a legislator.”

Accepting his new position, Okonoboh said that his emergency was a result of wide consultations within the All Progressives Congress noting that the new development was a House matter that was free of any interference from the state governor.

Okonoboh commended Ativie for her willingness to step down for the position in a manner unprecedented in the whole country, promising that all her appointments would remain‎ valid.