Monday Bobou-Obolo has explained why he resigned as the Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly yesterday, saying he did so in line with the power sharing formula in the state.
Obolo, who is representing Southern Ijaw Constituency ll, is from Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, same as the new governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was sworn in on Friday.
Our correspondent reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 19 out of the 24 members of the assembly. The other members are of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obolo was elected speaker of the state assembly in September 2019 following the crisis that ousted the then speaker, Mr Tonye Isenah.
Bayelsa Central Senatorial District comprises Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma local governments, while Bayelsa East senatorial district comprises of Nembe, Ogbia and Brass local governments and Bayelsa West comprises of Sagbama and Ekeremor local governments.
Diri is from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area which falls under Bayelsa Central Senatorial District while his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, is from Sagbama local government which falls under Bayelsa West Senatorial District.
Addressing the house during an emergency sitting yesterday, Obolo said he resigned to allow another senatorial district produce the speaker to balance the power sharing formula in the state.
“In Bayelsa State, we have three senatorial districts, the central, the east and the west, it has been the practice that governor, the deputy governor and the Speaker come from the three senatorial districts. In this case, I am so blessed that the current governor of Bayelsa State is from my senatorial district. So it means that the seat of the speaker will have to shift to another senatorial district.
“That is the reason I voluntarily stepped aside as the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly for a new speaker to emerge in order to fulfil the age-long power rotation formula in the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, the former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ngobere, has been elected the new speaker.
This was sequel to the motion moved by Mr Bennard Kenebi (Sagbama ll, PDP), and seconded by Wisdom Fadi (Kolokuma/Opokuma ll, PDP) nominating Ngobere as the new speaker.
Speaking shortly after assumption of office, the new speaker, Abraham Ngobere, promised to carry all the 24 members along to work as a team for a greater Bayelsa.
