This comes after the death of the late occupant, Funminyi Afuye.
The Majority Leader of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Gboyega Aribisogan has been elected as the new Speaker of the state.
This comes after the death of the late occupant, Funminyi Afuye.
Aribisogan emerged as the new Speaker despite efforts by the immediate former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi to impose his candidate, Chief Bunmi Adelugba on the people, in a move to retain control of the state legislature.
SaharaReporters exclusively learnt that Fayemi also disrespected the state governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji in his move to ensure Adelugba, who represents Emure constituency, emerged as the Speaker of the House.
Sources said Fayemi on Sunday summoned top politicians in the state to his house and categorically told them to support Adelugba for the vacant position. He, however, failed to invite the governor to the gathering where the plot was being made to technically give himself a third term in office by retaining control of the House.
Fayemi and Oyebanji, whom he supported to succeed him in office are already at loggerheads less than a month after the latter took the oath of office.
“Fayemi summoned Ekiti politicians to his house on Sunday and imposed a speaker on them, Adelugba. In fact, the speaker he selected took a priest to the House of Assembly, dry-cleaned her Speaker’s robe and fumigated the Assembly complex.
“But Fayemi did not invite the governor who is now at loggerheads with him over the messy state he left the state’s treasury,” a source told SaharaReporters after Fayemi’s plot failed.
It was learnt that some of the lawmakers voted against Adelugba to spite Fayemi for allegedly working against them during the primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Today, the people of Ekiti are jubilant that ‘Fayemi’s third term’ in office has ended,” another source privy to the happenings in the state told SaharaReporters.
Aribisogan, who was said to have the support of Governor Oyebanji, had 15 votes to defeat Fayemi’s candidate, Adelugba who got 10 votes.
Aribisogan was thereafter sworn in at the plenary of Tuesday by the clerk of the House, Mr. Tola Esan.
The new Speaker thanked his colleagues for having confidence in him and promised to be committed to the discharge of his duty.
Some new principal officers also emerged in the House with Hakeem Jamiu retaining his position as Deputy Speaker.
Yemisi Ayokunle, who represents Ekiti South West is the new Leader of Business; Tope Ogunleye emerged as the new Chief Whip; Tajudeen Akingbolu became the Deputy Leader while Adeteju Okuyiga emerged as the Deputy Whip.
The immediate former Speaker, Afuye, died after suffering a cardiac arrest on October 19. He was buried last Friday in Ikere-Ekiti.