Cross River, Sokoto, Kwara States Assemblies Elect New Speaker

 

Cross River, Sokoto and Kwara States Houses of Assembly have elected their Speakers to pilot the affairs of the newly constituted assemblies in the next four years.

In Cross River State, the member representing Yakurr II state constituency, Mr. Eteng Jonah Williams, was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the state assembly.

The emergence of Williams as the Speaker of the 25-member ninth assembly followed his nomination by the member representing Ogoja state constituency, Peter Odey.

The member representing Calabar South II was also returned unopposed as the Deputy Speaker, a development that saw him retaining the position he held in the eighth assembly, after he was nominated by the representative of Boki II state constituency, Mr. Hilary Bisong.

Both lawmakers, who have been members of the state House of Assembly since 2011, were sworn in respectively and were declared by the clerk of the assembly, Elder Bassey Ekpenyong, at the inauguration of the ninth assembly on Tuesday.

In his post-inauguration address, Williams said he was humbled for being elected Speaker of the assembly, describing the gesture as an affirmation of the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues and the people of the state.

The speaker thanked the state Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, for the support he has given him in the last four years, and urged the people of the state to support the governor in order to complete the numerous projects embarked on by the state government.

In his message to the lawmakers, the state Governor, Ayade, urged them to maintain cordial relationship with other arms of the state government.

The governor congratulated them for emerging victorious as the representatives of their constituencies at the 2019 general elections.

Meanwhile, in Sokoto State, lawmaker representing Wurno state constituency, Hon. Aminu Manya Achida, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was yesterday elected Speaker of the state assembly.

Achida was nominated by Ibrahim Arzika Sarki (PDP) Sokoto North II and was seconded by Hon. Faruk Mustapha Balle of Gudu state constituency.

Achida defeated APC-nominated candidate, Abdullahi Garba Sidi of Gada South constituency with 16 votes against 14.

However, Abubakar Magaji of Bodinga state constituency (PDP) was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the assembly.

In Kwara State, a 34-year-old member of the state assembly representing Ilesha-Gwanara state constituency, Hon. Yakubu Saliu Danladi, on Tuesday emerged the new Speaker of the assembly.

Hon. Rapheal Adetiba, however, emerged Deputy Speaker of the assembly while Hon. Olawoyin Mogaji from Ilorin West Local Government Area emerged Leader of the assembly and Hon. Yusuf Ali Jimoh as the Chief Whip from Ilorin East Local Government Area.

However, the new Speaker was nominated by only ranking lawmaker and contestant, Hon Saheed Popoola, member representing Balogun-Ojomu state constituency and seconded by Hon. Haliru Danbaba.

In his acceptance speech after he was sworn in as the Speaker, Danladi promised to utilise the opportunity reposed on them by the people of the state to rewrite its history.