The All Progressives Congress (APC)
has rejected the inauguration of the state assemblies in Edo and Bauchi.
In a statement by Lanre
Issa-Onilu, national publicity secretary, the party described the inauguration
as “a joke and embarrassment” to democracy.
Nine Edo lawmakers said to be
loyal to Godwin Obaseki, the governor, had edged out their colleagues by taking
oath of office “secretly”, while in Bauchi, two speakers emerged after
different elections.
The APC, therefore, called on
Obaseki, its member, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state, to issue ” a
proper letter of proclamation for lawful” inauguration of the state assemblies
and election of their presiding officers in a transparent manner.
“The All Progressives Congress
(APC) condemns the charade being presented as the inauguration of new State
Houses of Assembly in Edo and Bauchi,” the statement read.
“We viewed this illegality with
shock and disappointment. As a party that has made a commitment to change, we
strongly reject any attempt to take recourse to brigandage of the past, when
democratic practices were defined by the inordinate whims of people in power.
Democracy must be governed by the rule of law.
“A situation where 11 lawmakers
in the 31-member Bauchi State House of Assembly and nine lawmakers in the
24-member Edo State House of Assembly were secretly ‘inaugurated’ and
purportedly ‘elected’ principal officers behind closed doors is a joke and an
embarrassment.
“It is an unfortunate reminder of
PDP’s queer brand of democracy. Practices like this are unacceptable under
APC-led administration. As a party that is committed to higher ideals, we would
use all democratic means necessary to ensure the right thing is done.
“Perhaps the actors in the
inauguration sham in Edo and Bauchi States need to be reminded of the recent
and widely-commended election of presiding officers in the newly-inaugurated
9th National Assembly. Our party has set new standards in party politics by
upstaging the rule of force, while upholding the rule of law.
“We, therefore, call on the
Governors of Edo State, Mr. Godwin
Obaseki and Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed to urgently do the needful by issuing a
proper letter of proclamation to allow for the lawful inauguration of the respective
state House of Assembly and subsequent election of presiding officers in a
transparent manner.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com