Anxiety as Ondo Assembly elects new Speaker

Tamarauemi Ebimini

There is tension among leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State over whose senatorial district the Speaker of the 10th Assembly in the state would emerge from.

The 10th Assembly would be proclaimed today (Saturday).

This is just as the 9th Assembly under Speaker Bamidele Oloyolegun was officially dissolved at Friday’s valedictory plenary.

There was, however, tension in the state in the early hours of Friday when a letter of resignation by the Speaker surfaced.

The purported resignation letter of the Speaker, which was addressed to the Clerk of the House and written on the letterhead of the Assembly reads, “Please permit me to inform you that I, Rt. Hon. Oleyelogun, Bamidele David, cease to function as Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly. This follows my decision to resign from the position with effect today.

Speaker Oloyelogun said the ploy was to embarrass the state and himself.

He insisted that he would remain the Speaker until his term expires.

However, the battle on who emerged Speaker in the 10th Assembly is between the four lawmakers that won re-election.

What would work against Hon Gbegudu and Akinruntan is that they both represent constituencies in Ondo South senatorial district where the next governor is expected to come from.

Hon Oladiji had been touted to be the next Speaker as he hails from Ondo Central where the seat of the Speaker is currently zoned to but argument put against him by some leaders was that the deputy governor slot in 2024 would be zoned to the Ondo Central.

Some APC chieftains who pleaded anonymity said there has been massive support for Hon Ogunmolasuyi as the zone where he hails from, Ondo North, is where the Speaker would be zoned to.

The APC chieftains who spoke separately said they pushed for Ogunmolasuyi to avert crisis next year  after Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu hands over power to somebody from Ondo South.