More details have emerged over the impeachment of the former Edo State of Assembly deputy speaker, Yekini Idiaye, as deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Comr. Philip Shaibu, alleged that N40million defection largesse was responsible.
Recall that earlier today, Idiaye was impeached on Wednesday during a plenary session with members of the assembly electing Roland Asero as the new Deputy Speaker immediately.
He had led four other members of the Edo legislative to endorse Pastor Ize-Iyamu as their chosen candidate for the September Edo 2020 governorship election.
Other members that indicated their support for Ize-Iyamu were: Emmanuel Agbaje (APC Akoko-Edo II constituency), Nosayaba Okunbor (Orhionmwon East constituency), Dumez Ugiagbe (Ovia Northeast I constituency) and Vincent Uwadiae (Ovia Northeast constituency II).
While reinforcing his inducement allegation, Shaibu called on the people of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area (LGA) to ask their representatives at the state’s House of Assembly, Hon.Idiaye and Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje, for their share of the N40 million given to each of them by the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comr. Adams Oshiomhole, to influence their support for the APC candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Addressing supporters in Lampese, Akoko-Edo LGA, Shaibu said the Deputy Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly and member representing Akoko-Edo Constituency I, Idiaye, and member representing Akoko-Edo Constituency II, Agbaje, were paid N40 million to influence their support for Ize-Iyamu.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate and Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Shaibu, on Monday kicked off their re-election campaign in Edo North Senatorial District, with a visit to the palace of the Otaru of Igarra, Oba Emmanuel Adeche Saiki II, where they got blessings from the monarch and his people.
Shaibu, who urged the people not to be worried because the leadership of the EDHA is with the governor, noted: “Speaker of the EDHA and all the principal officers are supporting the governor while all those that left demanded money which he declined because of the love and interest of Edo people.
“Hon Agbaje and Hon. Yekini collected N40 million each to throw their support for Ize-Iyamu. Oshiomhole also gave N5 million each to councilors to switch loyalty and support the APC candidate. I had a meeting with these lawmakers who demanded $10,000 but I told them Obaseki is not a governor that shares money but uses such money for the development of Edo State. Use your Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to vote these corrupt leaders out of office.”
The Deputy Governor while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to ask Oshiomhole where he got such an amount of money to bribe the lawmakers, added: “We know President Muhammadu Buhari is fighting corruption and should call Oshiomhole and ask him where he got such money from.”
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