By Taiwo Erioluwa
The leadership structure of the seventh Ekiti State House of Assembly has taken shape with the nomination of principal officers by their respective political parties.
The majority party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has twenty four (24) members while the minority party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has two (2) members in the 26-member State Parliament.
Shortly after taking his seat and banged the gavel for the first time, the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, read the letters received from the two parties nominating their choices for the positions of principal officers.
The APC nominated Hon. Michael Tolulope Ige from Ekiti Southwest Constituency 2 (Ogotun and Igbara Odo) as the new Majority Leader while the position of the Deputy Majority Leader went to Hon. Oluyomi Ebenezer Ayorinde from Ido/Osi Constituency 2.
The new member representing Efon Constituency, Hon. Bosede Olowookere emerged as the Chief Whip while her counterpart from Emure Constituency, Hon. Maryam Ogunlade got the position of the Deputy Chief Whip.
Apart from the Speaker, Majority Leader and Deputy Majority Leader, other legislators nominated for the principal officers’ positions by the APC are women (Egbeyemi-Olagbaju, Olowookere and Ogunlade).
The only legislator nominated for the position of a principal officer by the SDP was the member representing Ekiti East Constituency 1, Hon. Dele Ogunsakin who emerged as the new Minority Leader.
The Speaker explained that the SDP could only produce one principal officer because the party, with just two legislators, scored less than 25 per cent of the total membership strength of the Assembly (26 seats).
Apart from the Speaker, other principal officers are first timers in the Assembly.
The Seventh Assembly has nine (9) returning members who were all produced by the APC.
