Rancour in Kogi Assembly over choice of new Speaker

The Kogi State House of Assembly has been plunged deep into controversy over who takes over as the speaker from the  incumbent Momoh Jimoh Lawal .

The incumbent speaker Momoh Jimoh Lawal is expected to step down from office as he is from the same Senatorial District as

the Governor which is against the House rule.
Consequently, the house which was  scheduled to resume sitting last week could not.
It was gathered that the People’s Democratic Party which is in majority were absent on both occasions leaving the house with only seven member far below the  the number that should have formed the quorum for sitting.
Sources close to the Assembly said that the National Secretariat of the People’ s Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday summoned members in the state House of Assembly to Abuja for an emergency meeting.

Our Correspondent reliably gathered that members of the national working committee, including state committee of the party were in attendance in the meeting chaired by the acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, who told PDP state assembly members that the statue quo should be maintained for now.

According to him, since PDP is majority in the state House of Assembly with fourteen members, he saw no reason why they should allow APC with seven members to resume leadership of the House.

He therefore directed that Honourable Momoh Jimoh Lawal should remain Speaker of the House, Hounourable Ali Aku Deputy Speaker, Honourable Prince Kolawole Olusola majority leader and Honourable Friday Sani as the Chief whip of the House.

It was alleged that the Speaker, Hon. Momoh Jimoh-Lawal, held a meeting with the Governor over his replacement with one of the seven Assembly’s members of All Progressives Congress last Monday.