Frank Okiye, speaker of Edo state
house of assembly, has described the crisis rocking the state as a smokescreen
by Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
to deny Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state, a second term.
Fielding questions from
journalists on Friday, Okoye said the planned takeover by the senate was part
of Oshiomhole’s “grand plot” to remove Obaseki.
A misunderstanding between
Oshiomhole and Obaseki had led to the factionalisation of the state assembly.
Nine lawmakers loyal to Obaseki
were secretly inaugurated on June 17, leaving their colleagues in the camp of
Oshiomhole stranded.
The senate had set up a committee
to look into the crisis in the state. On Tuesday, the committee submitted its
report and the upper legislative chamber gave the governor a week ultimatum to
issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the state house of assembly.
But Okiye who was elected speaker
on June 17 said the Edo assembly is not the real target of the APC chairman.
“The truth is that the Edo state
assembly and my office as the speaker are not the real targets of this crisis.
The plot is actually aimed at Governor Obaseki and the endpoint is to stop him
from getting a return ticket as governor next year,” Okiye said.
“Comrade Oshiomhole is actually
after Obaseki, the state assembly was only used a smokescreen to his plans. The
idea now is to take over the house, destabilize the state and possibly impeach
the governor.
“The Edo Peoples Movement that
originated this crisis has boasted that they will ensure that the governor does
not come back for the second tenure. I have said it before on several occasions
that we know who is beating the drum for them in the national assembly.
“They have found themselves in
the position of stooge to make it look like they cannot think outside the box,
it’s unfortunate.”
He added that legislative
proceedings were ongoing at the chamber, advising his aggrieved colleagues to
come over to the assembly to regularise their documents as lawmaker-elects.
“We have been sitting as a
parliament. I just drove out of office after the plenary session. Lawmakers are
going about their committee work. We just invited commissioner for works to
appear before the house over a matter of public importance,” he said.
“The door is open for the
remaining lawmaker-elect, they should come to assembly, complete and regularize
their documentation and they will be sworn in.
“The constitution says when the
house is unable to sit, that means when it cannot perform the function it was
supposed to perform.
“And this notification was
supposed to be given or declared by the governor who will say that there is no
one to clear my commissioners, oversee my legislative requests and so on. That
was what the constitution contemplated, not the national assembly sitting over
a state assembly as if we are a colony under them.”
When contacted to react to
Okiye’s allegation, Simon Egbebulem, spokesman of Oshiomhole, said he would not
comment on the issue.
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