Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has dismissed reports linking him with the impeachment of the former speaker of the state house of assembly, Victor Edoror.
He made the clarification on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 when he received the new speaker, Elizabeth Ativie and other principal members of the House of assembly in his office in Benin City.
Oshiomhole told the speaker that the two arms of government worked together for the common good of the people and not to attack each other to score political points and win favour for oneself, either from the electorate or from the Nigerian public.
He said leaders of both the executive and legislature have a shared responsibility of ensuring the unity and stability of the state.
He, however, said there have been insinuations linking him with the impeachment of the former speaker, insisting that such conclusion was wrong.
“Some journalists have chosen to elevate speculations as if they were facts and on the basis of their own imaginations, even write columns that are not informed either by facts or truth, sometimes based on what they themselves will do if they were in my privileged position rather than what I have done.
“I have had to live with a lot of mud thrown at my person as part of my own reward or some of the challenges of the very privileged position I hold in Edo State. I have read uninformed comments such as the impeachment of the former speaker Hon. Edoror was because he is not supporting Oshiomhole’s project in my determination to ‘impose a candidate on the party’.
“Some have gone to the ridiculous extent of suggesting that your emergence as speaker is a prelude to impeaching the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Egberamwen Odubu.
“There are all kinds of uninformed, sickening speculations which are not only are irritating, but even more irritating when you realize that people who are very responsible, in the absence of any other source of information, appear to believe what might be described as sources from bush radio. These are not true”.
He said the impeachment was the handiwork of the house members who thought it was necessary to effect changes in the leadership of the house.
Earlier, the new speaker apologized to the governor for not informing him before the impeachment was carried out, arguing that if the governor was notified, he would have blocked the house members from effecting the change in the house.
“I want to publicly on behalf of all the twenty-four members of the Edo State House of Assembly apologize to your Excellency that we carried out the changes without letting you know because we knew that if for any reason it leaked to your knowledge, you will not allow us to do it. That is why we took our notes among ourselves that we will not let you know.
“It is worthy of note therefore that another history has been made in Edo State by divine arrangement and the pleasure of my very distinguished colleagues, I have emerged as the first female speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly in your time, a position that is cherished by the women of Edo State and the world at large.
“The House under my able leadership will continue to work harmoniously with your Excellency in our collective drive to transform Edo State into an enviable height,” she said.
