Benue Assembly Impeaches Speaker, Ikyange
Loading ...From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
Benue State House of Assembly, (BSHA), has impeached the Speaker, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange.
Mr. Sule Audu of Agatu state constituency, presided as pro tempo Speaker over the sitting which effected the removal of the former Speaker, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange.
Ikyange was removed by 22 members out of the 30 member in the house after a motion was moved by Richard Ujege from Konshisha state constituency and seconded by Anthony Ogbu from Ado state constituency.
The former major whip, Mr Titus Uba was immediately elected new speaker of the House, after he was nominated by Mr. Egli Ahubi Johnson of Otukpo/Akpa constituency and seconded by Stephen Tyochir, from Gwer East, while Johnson Egli from Otukpo/Akpa was elected the deputy speaker.
The sitting also saw the decamping of Mr. Avine Agbum of Makurdi North from APC to PDP automatically making the opposition party, the PDP majority in the house.
With the election of the speaker, some principal officers were elected with Avine Agbum emerging as the new majority leader, Sule Audu (PDP) deputy majority leader, while Kester Ikyenge (PDP) is the Majority Whip.
It could be noted the state Assembly after their last sitting had adjourned to reconvene 15 August this year but suddenly resumed for the impeachement of the speaker
New speaker of the House Titus Uba who spoke to journalists after the sitting said the former speaker Terkimbi Ikyange was removed as a result of high handedness.
“The reason for the removal was due to high handedness.
“The 8th Assembly is a house that has come to do what the people want them to do and anything that will tarnish their image, the house will rise to that challenge and that is what it has just done today.
“Though we earlier pass voted of confidence, just two weeks ago on the Speaker, after passing that vote of confidence him, somebody rose and said the vote of confidence should not get into their head. But shortly after that, we discovered it started getting into some people’s head”, he added.
Former speaker could not be reached for comments.
The new speaker of the state Assembly, Hon. Uba is still a member of the ruling APC.
