Gbajabiamila dissolves 9th Assembly, bows out

Femi Gbajabiamila, 9th Speaker of the House of Representatives, has bowed out of the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila, who was first elected in 2003, won a sixth term but would not be inaugurated in the 10th assembly as he has been appointed Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.

Gbajabiamila, in his valedictory speech on Wednesday, said, “I will miss all of you and miss this house, you have enriched my life and I cannot express how much you have impacted the house.”

He also said, ”As we bring this 9th House of Representatives to a close, I am proud to say that by our joint effort at nation-building, we have ensured that the cause of Nigeria will long endure and the dreams of our nation’s founding fathers will not die.

“We came, we saw, and while there is much yet to conquer, we have done our duty to God and country.

“I came to this honourable House 20 years ago, filled with hope for our nation’s future. I leave this office today with hope unbroken, and my enthusiasm to serve remains undiminished.

“I am more confident that our best days are ahead and that we can build a future where our nation is a beacon of excellence, a refuge and a place of pride for all who salute our flag and swear allegiance to our constitution.”

According to him, the 9th House of Reps has ended and the 10th will commence.
“I urge you to ensure that you are not found wanting by man or God in the final judgment,” he added.

.Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, the Majority Leader of the House, had moved a motion to commence the valedictory session, while Rep Ndudi Elumelu, the Minority Leader seconded the motion.

Also, Julius Ihovhre (APC-Edo), said he would forever cherish the friendship he made in the 9th assembly, adding that such a relationship would last forever.

Adewale Egbedun emerges Speaker of 8th Osun Assembly

Adewale Egbedun, the lawmaker representing Odo-Otin State Constituency,  on Tuesday, emerged the Speaker of the 8th Osun State House of Assembly, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Egbedun, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member and a first time lawmaker, was nominated by Abiola Ibrahim representing Irewole/Isokan Constituency while Areoye Ebenezer representing Atakumosa East/West Constituency seconded the motion.

Mr Akinyode Oyewusi, the lawmaker representing Ife North State Constituency was equally elected as Deputy Speaker.

Oyewusi was nominated by Elisha Oderinwale, lawmaker representing Ayedire State Constituency, and which was seconded by Kashope Abolarinwa, lawmaker representing Ifedayo State Constituency.

Mr Simeon Amusan, the Clerk of the assembly, thereafter, administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the nominated Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Egbedun, in turn administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the remaining 24 members of the assembly.

In his acceptance speech, the new speaker called on his colleagues “to join hands with him to run a true and new age Osun House of Assembly”.

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He said the 8th assembly, under his leadership, would focus on legislature that would improve workers’ welfare, infrastructural development, improve peoples lives and also work with the executive to develop the state.

Egbedun, however, said that the assembly would revisit the laws passed by the 7th  assembly at the twilight of its tenure, especially between August and November 2022, to correct obnoxious bills/laws passed.

In his proclamation address , Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun, sought the support of the legislature to achieve his five-goal development agenda of good governance for the state.

Adeleke said that since the executive and overwhelming members of the legislature belonged to the same political party, the two arms should work towards the same goal of good governance and providing the people with the dividends of democracy.

NAN reports that Egbedun took over from Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, who piloted the affairs of the 7th Osun House of Assembly from 2019 to 2023.

Other principal officers elected afterwards include: Babajide Kofoworola (Ede North) as Majority Leader; Adekunle Oladimeji (Irepodun/Orolu) as Deputy Majority Leader.

Also, Olawale Akerele (Ilesa West) was elected as Chief Whip, while Afeez Ibrahim (Olaoluwa) was elected as the Deputy Chief Whip.

Eminent personality at the inauguration include former Osun governor and PDP chieftain, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Osun House of Assembly Speakers Adejare Bello and Najeem Salaam.

Others are Osun Chief Judge, Mrs Adepele Ojo, and former Osun assembly lawmakers, among others

Adewale Egbedun emerges Speaker of 8th Osun Assembly

(NAN)

Tribunal shifts hearing of Atiku’s suit against Tinubu over INEC’s failure to supply materials

The Presidential Election Petitions Court was on Tuesday forced to shift hearing in the petition of Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) over lack of documents from 11 local government areas of Kogi State.

The five-member panel of justices presided by Justice Haruna Tsammani shifted hearing in the petition to enable the PDP obtain the documents expected from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Earlier, counsel to the PDP, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) had sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 local government areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against President Bola Tinubu.

The exhibits mainly documents used for the February 25 presidential election are those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu, Igalamela Odolu and Kogi.

Although, the schedule of documents to the effect was filed along with the exhibits, the court however noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits at piece meals would not be of any help especially in marking and numbering them.

Jegede, however, blamed the INEC for deliberate refusal to supply his client with the vital documents.

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He said Atiku and the PDP had paid N6 million for the supply of certified true copies of the exhibits but INEC failed to provide them.

Jegede explained that to save the situation, the legal team had to subpoena top INEC officials to bring the required documents before the court.

He later requested for a 24-hour adjournment to enable him approach the electoral body to do the needful.

Following no objections from counsel to respondents, INEC represented by Abubakar Mahmud; Tinubu, Chief Wole Olanipekun; and the APC, Lateef Fagbemi, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, the panel shifted the matter.

Earlier, the panel admitted the document of discontinuance of the suit at the Supreme Court filed by six states of the PDP challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu as president.

PDP counsel, Jegede informed the court that the discontinuance notice in SC/CV/354/2023 between AG of Adamawa State and 6 others versus Attorney General of the Federation was contained in the 3 schedule of documents to be tendered.

It is intended to support their counter affidavit against the APC’s claim that they are still maintaining a similar suit at the Supreme Court.

The Attorneys General of Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto states had on February 28 filed the suit before the Supreme Court challenging INEC’s declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election without compliance to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC guidelines.

They had contended that the provision for the upload of results from the BVAS to the IREV was not complied with before the INEC pronouncement.

However, in a preliminary objection at the tribunal, Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) argued that Atiku and PDP’s petition was an abuse of court process having filed a similar suit at the apex court.

Tribunal shifts hearing of Atiku’s suit against Tinubu over INEC’s failure to supply materials

Daily Trust