Special Correspondent, TITUS OISE, takes a look at the crisis rocking Edo State House of Assembly and its effect on governance in the state
Since the defection of four lawmakers of Edo State House of Assembly from the All Progressives Congress (APC) – the state’s ruling party – to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), things have not been the same in the politics of the state. The four are Patrick Osayimen, representing Oredo West Constituency; Jude Ise-Idehen, representing Ikpoba-Okha constituency; Abdul Razaq Momoh, representing Etsako West; and Friday Ogierakhi, representing Orhionmwon South, the deputy governor’s constituency.
With the defection of the four APC lawmakers, the opposition PDP, which hitherto had four members, now has eight in a 24-member House. Basking in the euphoria of the membership swell, the PDP reportedly wanted more members to get the majority of Edo House of Assembly at the expense of the APC. This probably may have been the real reason the leadership of the House moved against the defecting legislators.
Curiously, on Monday, June 9, 2014, the deputy speaker, Festus Ebea, who was on his way out of the ruling APC, and three others (Osayimwen, Ogieriakhi and Ise-Idehen) were suspended for alleged misconduct. The other three lawmakers had all defected to the PDP last month.
Uyi Igbe
Surprisingly, Momoh, who also defected to the opposition party, was spared by the Uyi Igbe-led House. Eleven members of the House were at the sitting where Paul Ohonbamu, representing Egor Constituency, moved the motion for the suspension. It was seconded by Majority Leader, Philip Shaibu.
However, a mild drama played out on Tuesday, June 10, at the House of Assembly, when in the early hours of the morning the PDP lawmakers, including the suspended members, broke into the chambers to sit, even without a mace – the symbol of authority. It was reliably gathered that the legislators, who came in a bus, were aided by heavily-armed policemen. Numbering nine, they sat briefly. At the end of their plenary, Igbe, Shaibu and six other lawmakers were equally suspended. Thereafter, the suspended deputy speaker was pronounced speaker by the PDP lawmakers.
As the PDP lawmakers were rounding off, the 15 lawmakers loyal to Governor Adams Oshiomhole stormed the House and hell was let loose, as they engaged one another in free-for-all. The show of shame continued until heavily-armed policemen brought the situation under control using tear gas to disperse the combatants. While Igbe and others resumed sitting at the chambers, supporters of APC and those of PDP engaged in another battle outside the premises.
In an interview, Ebea insisted that his group had suspended the Speaker and Majority Leader, stating that the leadership of the assembly had been changed.
In a riposte, the 15 APC lawmakers loyal to Oshiomhole described the ‘suspension’ as laughable and accused the police of aiding the four suspended lawmakers to break into the chambers.
Also, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Kabiru Adjoto, who addressed journalists in the office of Mr. Speaker alongside 14 others, dismissed the action of their counterparts in suspending the Speaker as laughable.
“I don’t know how they could have suspended the Speaker and the Majority Leader when the mace was not with them,” he stressed.
Ever since the crisis broke out, there has been heavy presence of heavily-armed policemen in the House of Assembly. Roads leading to the Assembly were equally cordoned off to ensure that supporters of the warring groups are kept at bay.
Surprisingly, on Wednesday, June 11, the warring groups held a joint session in the House under the watchful eyes of the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the State, Foluso Adebanjo, who brokered the peace. All the lawmakers, including those ‘suspended’, sat together under the leadership of Igbe for over nine hours.
Meanwhile, a Benin High Court has restrained the four ‘suspended’ lawmakers from gaining entrance into the premises of the Assembly and the legislative quarters. The court also restrained the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Zone 5, Benin City and the Edo CP from interfering with the sitting activities and other functions of the State Assembly pending the determination of a motion on notice before it.
Ruling on a motion ex parte brought before it by Igbe, Justice V.O. Eboreime ordered substituted service of the originating summons on the suspended legislators by advertisement in a national newspaper and a local newspaper within 48 hours. The PDP lawmakers have since denied knowledge of the restraining order from the High Court.
The restraining order may have aggravated the crisis rocking the Assembly, as the suspended members had sworn to attend plenary on Monday, June 16. The PDP leadership in the state had equally condemned the restraining order, while stating very clearly that its members would not abide by it.
They attended the plenary on Monday, June 16 under tight security and there was no problem. After deliberation, the house was locked and the lawmakers adjourned till Monday, June 23.
On the other hand, the 15 APC lawmakers loyal to Oshiomhole had insisted that the court order restraining the suspended lawmakers must be obeyed. In a press conference held at the complex on Thursday, June 12, Adjoto accused the PDP lawmakers of stealing a mace, while stating emphatically that the suspended lawmakers must not be seen anywhere near the Assembly Complex and the legislative quarters.
Adjoto said: “We have one Speaker in the House of Assembly. He is Hon. Uyi Igbe. We thank the Commissioner of Police for coming to douse tension. The suspended lawmakers brought in a stolen mace. They were not suspended because they defected; they were suspended as a result of misconduct.”
On allegations that Oshiomhole was behind the suspension of the four lawmakers, Kassim Afegbua, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, dismissed the charge, stressing that “what is happening in the Assembly is an internal affair of the House and the governor has nothing to do with it”.
Edo State Civil Societies Organisation (EDSCSO) has since condemned the crisis rocking the House of Assembly. According to a statement on its behalf by Ophelia Okorowa, “the House of Assembly members should put a stop, as a matter of urgency, to the undemocratic alliance with the executive arm of government which is not favourable to the Edo people. The House of Assembly members owe allegiance only to the people of Edo and not to Governor Oshiomhole”.
Some, however, argue that the crisis rocking the House may degenerate if the governor does not wade in to restore normalcy in the troubled house.