Edo Assembly crisis lingers after governorship poll

The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly is still simmering weeks after the governorship election in the state, Daily Trust reports.

Weeks to the September 19, governorship election in the state won by incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, the crisis rocking the state’s parliament deepened with the creation of two parliaments.

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Our correspondent reports that while the Frank Okiye-led camp holds sitting at the old legislative chambers of the Edo State Government House, the Victor Edoror’s assembly sits at an undisclosed private residence.

Lawmakers loyal to Obaseki belong to the Okiye’s camp, while those in Edoror’s group are loyal to the former national chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The crisis in the state assembly started on June 17, 2019, following the supremacy battle between Obaseki and Oshiomhole.

It was learnt that while Obaseki wanted Okiye, Oshiomhole preferred Edoror.

The development led to the inauguration of 11 members-elect out of the 24 members of the assembly.

At the inauguration, Frank Okiye was elected as the speaker of the assembly.

The crisis raged on until a few weeks to the governorship election when the 14 members-elect inaugurated themselves at a private residence, where they elected Victor Edoror as their speaker.

Speaking to our correspondent, Okiye insisted that there is no parallel or factional assembly in the state.

He described the members-elect and the parallel assembly as mere detractors and impostors.

“We have passed a resolution that they should be arrested and prosecuted because what they have done is tantamount to treasonable felony.

“We found a forged letter of the house allegedly signed by one Edoror, we have reported it to the police and I am sure they are undergoing interrogation,” he said.

Okiye described the alleged parallel assembly as a comic show by people hiding in a private residence and entertaining people for the purpose of making daily bread.

On his part, Edoror said, “I am the authentic speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the other one is fake.

“We are 17 members and they are seven.

“We are the authentic members and I am calling on them to come and join us because their time is running out and if it gets to a number of days and they are not with us, they know the implication,” he said.