Special Correspondent, TITUS OISE, takes a look at the worsening crisis rocking Edo State House of Assembly
For quite some time now, there have been two factions of lawmakers in Edo State House of Assembly. On one hand are the All Progressives Congress (APC) legislators led by the Speaker, Uyi Igbe. On the other hand are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea. Both camps have refused to shift ground, despite the resolve of the police hierarchy in the state not to allow any sit in the hallowed chambers unless it is a joint sitting.
Uyi Igbe
After their last session, both camps had adjourned till different dates. The 15 APC lawmakers loyal to Governor Adams Oshiomhole had adjourned plenary till Wednesday, July 2, while the Ebea-led group of PDP lawmakers had adjourned till Monday, June 30. The battle lines were indeed drawn.
That fateful Monday, June 30, as early as 6am, hundreds of heavily armed policemen had cordoned off all roads leading to the House, while ensuring that the gates were under lock and key. The PDP lawmakers and workers were denied entry, as the police insisted that no group would be allowed to sit. Having waited outside the complex for several hours, the PDP lawmakers left angrily without sitting.
Perhaps sensing that they also may be shut out by the stern-looking armed policemen stationed at the Assembly, the 15 lawmakers loyal to the governor decided to sit at the Government House on Wednesday, July 2. When the APC lawmakers settled down for plenary, it moved for the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker for alleged misconduct and misdemeanor. In his place, Victor Edoroh, representing Esan Central Constituency, was elected and was immediately sworn in by the Speaker.
Moving a motion for the impeachment, Chief Whip of the House, Foly Ogedengbe, stated that an impeachment notice signed by 16 lawmakers of the Assembly, predicated on Section 92(2c) of the amended 1999 Constitution and Order 72 Rule 1A of the House Rule. He said the House had passed a vote of no confidence on Ebea.
Ogedengbe, representing Owan East Constituency, further stated that the election of Ebea then was to provide for good and effective leadership to the House, saying that the embattled Deputy Speaker had outlived his usefulness by bringing the House to serious ridicule and disrepute.
According to the Chief Whip, who eventually moved the impeachment motion, “we wish to state that we have lost confidence in suspended Deputy Speaker, who through his actions has brought the House to disrepute, hence the impeachment notice to restore public confidence in the House and invariably his removal as the Deputy Speaker”.
Curiously, the motion was seconded by Patrick Aisowieren, an APC lawmaker said to be on his way to the opposition PDP. He said: “Following the gross misconduct of Ebea, who forcefully gained access into the House chamber to pronounce the removal of the incumbent Speaker over their suspension, the House considered his actions as violation of the oath of his office and the House Rules; hence the impeachment has become a necessity.”
When the matter was put to vote by the Speaker, members responded in the affirmative. Moving the motion for the nomination of Edoror as new deputy speaker, Bamidele Oloruntoba, while aligning with the principle of no vacuum in governance as averred by the speaker, said he chose the new deputy speaker for the vacant position due to his exemplary leadership qualities. The motion for the nomination was seconded by Sunday Osazemwinde, which invariably resulted in the election of Edoror through a majority voice vote.
The Igbe-led house adjourned plenary till tomorrow, July 7.
On Monday, June 9, the group suspended four APC legislators, who had earlier defected to the opposition PDP. They are Ebea, Friday Ogierakhi (Orhiomwon South), Jude Ise-Idehen (Ikpoba-Okha) and Patrick Osayinwen (Oredo East).
However, Ebea has vowed to fight and resist his impeachment with the last drop of his blood. His words: “The Edo State Government and indeed the House of Assembly are thriving in illegality. Whatever they think they are doing, it is a pity because the people are watching. Edo State does not belong to the Comrade Governor, neither does it belong to the 24 of us. People voted us in there and we must not take them for granted.”
He added: “I have said it; if we return to status quo ante, I am ready to go back to my deputy speakership position, but when somebody begins to push Igbe (Speaker), I would tell you that we will resist it with the last drop of our blood.”
Meanwhile, the PDP caucus in the House has described the impeachment of Ebea as “a joke of the century”.
It noted that a deputy speaker could only be removed after a petition detailing allegations of the office holder had been signed by two-third majority of the members.
Kingsley Ehigiamusoe, the Minority Whip, said the sitting at the Government House was null and void. According to him, “there was no resolution of the House that the plenary session be moved to Government House. They are (APC legislators) only 15 members and the speaker cannot vote and for them to remove the deputy speaker; they must be 16.”
Minority Leader, Emmanuel Okoduwa, stated that “if the APC wants to have a deputy speaker, it’s for the APC caucus and not for the House of Assembly. The deputy speaker can only be impeached by two-third majority of the members of the House and they are only 15”, adding, “that does not constitute two-third majority”.
It was reliably gathered that plenary was moved to Government House temporarily because of the renovation work going on at the House of Assembly. As a result of the renovation work, Majority Leader, Phillip Shaibu, moved a motion that the old chamber in Government House be used temporarily for plenary, pending when “renovation work at the Assembly complex was complete”.
However, Edo State Civil Society Organisation (EDSCSO), a popular group in the state, has given the warring factions an ultimatum to settle their differences or be flushed out by the people of the state, who it said are tired of the on-going show of shame at the Assembly.
In a statement jointly signed by Curtis Eghosa Ugbo and Ophelia Okorowa, the group stated that “failure by the elected 24 legislators, including the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe (APC), and the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea (PDP), to resolve the issues and differences, the re-call process will commence in the three senatorial districts of Edo State, with the exercise for signatories starting from this mock plenary by our people”.
The PDP in the state has since rejected the impeachment of Ebea, while stating that it cannot stand. Thus, the battle line has been drawn.
