Chike Olemgbe, a 40-year-old man, has been chosen to serve as the Imo State House of Assembly’s new Speaker.

At the opening of the 10th State House of Assembly on Friday in Owerri, the state capital, Olemgbe, a first-time member representing Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area, was chosen without opposition.

Olemgbe served as the Ihitte/Uboma LGA’s most recent chairman of the Transition Committee.

Vitalis Azodo, a member-elect for Ideato South, made the motion to nominate Olemgbe as the new Speaker, and Ugochukwu Obodo, a member-elect for the Owerri Municipal Council, seconded it.

After no additional nominations were made, the Clerk of the House, Chinelo Emeghara, called for Olemgbe to be sworn in.

Amara Iwuanyanwu, the Assembly’s most recent deputy speaker, was re-elected without opposition as the new deputy speaker.

He was sworn in as the state’s deputy speaker right away.

The new Speaker pledged in his speech to collaborate with the executive branch to bring the benefits of democracy to the state’s citizens.