TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the crisis rocking the Edo state house of assembly is a reminder of how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) desecrated other arms of governments for political reasons in the past.

There has been unrest in the assembly owing to the disagreement between Godwin Obaseki, Edo governor, and Adams Oshiomhole, former APC chairman.

Twelve members-elect out of 24 were not sworn in as lawmakers when the house was inaugurated after the 2019 polls.

However on Thursday, 17 lawmakers were inaugurated and Victor Edoror, who was removed as deputy speaker in 2018, emerged speaker.

The development came three days after Yekini Idiaye, deputy speaker, was removed following his endorsement of Osagie Ize-Iyamu, APC governorship candidate.

In a statement on Friday, Yekini Nabena, APC deputy spokesman, said the independence of the legislature must be guaranteed and protected without interference from the executive.

“Amid the leadership crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly, the sudden renovation of the state’s legislative complex purportedly by the state government takes us back to the backward days of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations which normalised the desecration of other arms of governments to achieve political ends,” he said.

“Nigerians will also recall how the PDP introduced the repugnant ’16 is greater than 19′ political formula. By all standards, it is illegal to deny duly elected legislators their constitutional rights to represent their constituencies in government.

“For the 24-member Edo State House of Assembly, 7 cannot be greater than 17. Those days are gone. The independence of the legislature as an important arm of government must be guaranteed and protected without interference from the government (executive), partisans and other non-state actors.

“The activities of the Edo state government on the state house of assembly is a brazen assault on our constitution and the rule of law.”

Nabena added that the Edo people must be allowed to vote without “threats of violence by the PDP and the state government”.