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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Members of the Benue State House of Assembly, has elected Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, member representing Gboko West, as Speaker of the House of Assembly.
The House also elected Mrs Lami Danladi of Ado state constituency as the Deputy Speaker. She is the first deputy speaker in the history of Benue state Assembly.
Dajoh emerged Speaker after a keen contest between him and Hon Becky Orpin, an election that was conducted twice on the floor of the House.
Recall that supporters of Aondona Dajoh and those of Becky Orpin had engaged in a heated argument, a situation that made the Clark to call for a break.
Dajoh who earlier polled 16 votes like his opponent in the first election however polled 17 votes to clinch the speakership position against Becky Orpin of Gboko East who polled 15 votes.
The Assembly also nominated Lami Danladi, of Ado State Constituency as the Deputy Speaker. She emerged as Deputy Speaker, unopposed after she was nominated by Hon. Damkor Mathew, of Tiev state constituency, in Vandeikya Local Government Area.
Damkor while nominating Hon. Danladi said having elected a male speaker, it would be ideal to elect a woman for gender equity and balance, adding that she also posses the qualities to serve in that capacity.
In his inaugural speech, the new Speaker, Dajoh appreciated his colleagues for finding him worthy of the position and his party, the APC, for providing him the platform to contest.
He also appreciated his people for giving him the mandate, Governor Alia for inaugurating the 10th Assembly as well as the leader of the party and Secretary to the Government of the Federal, SFG, Sen George Akume for his sterling leadership qualities which he said has inspired them all.
He described his emergence as a product of the unity of the house, saying “Our success as a House depends on this unity because a house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Also describing the inauguration as the beginning of another era, the speaker said “As a House, we pledge to key into the renewed hope agenda of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu led federal government to deliver good governance to the Benue citizens.”
Thanking his colleagues for honouring him, the speaker pledged to be a servant leader saying the concept of checks and balances must be put into practice in their daily business just as she also promised good working relationship between the legislature and the Executive arm of government.
The Benue state House of Assembly has 32 members. Out of this number, seven members were old members while 15 were newly elected including the speaker and his deputy.
However, in a resolution earlier reached at a meeting of stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that was held in Makurdi on Sunday, the party adopted Mrs Becky Opin, member representing Gboko-East State Constituency as its preferred candidate for the position of Speaker.
In the resolution signed by the party Chairman and Acting Secretary, Austin Agada and Adah Ochojilla respectively, the party said the choice of Orpin was “in line with the fairness, equity and inclusive mantra of the Constitution of their party.
