Edo Assembly: We were not invited to House inauguration – 16 lawmakers-elect

The sixteen lawmakers-elect who were absent during the inauguration of the Edo state House of Assembly have said they were not invited to the House for the inauguration.

Addressing journalist on Tuesday in Benin, the spokesman for the 16 lawmakers-elect, Washinton Osifo, said they would have been present at the inauguration if they were invited.

He said the Clerk of the House called them at about 5:30pm to inform them that he has been called from the Government House and they were happy that the press conference has pricked the Governor to do what the constitution demands.

He added that the Clerk told them he will call them back 30 minutes later adding that when they didn’t hear from him, they called some of them who were absent from their  meeting but were not picking their calls.

“We were surprised that at 9:30pm, photographs began to filter into our phones suggesting that a kangaroo Assembly was being inaugurated. We were disappointed. One of us was spotted with a short and slippers taking oath of office. That was an offence in the hallowed chamber,” he said.

He alleged that two of them were also kidnapped to the House to make up the nineteen members, saying that there can be no quorum until the House is properly inaugurated.

“We have done the needful. We want to encourage Edo people to defend democracy and stand up for the rights of men. We have 16 members present here. Others not here are still in shock after they were kidnapped. Two of them are receiving treatment because their blood pressure went up,” he said.

Addressing journalists today, one of the lawmakers who claimed they were abducted, said they were forcefully taken to the hallowed chamber.

“I didn’t know where they brought a suit from for me to wear. The oath taking at the chamber was an illegal one. I am a child of the light; the inauguration was done under duress,” he said.