Update On The Political Heat In Edo State House of Assembly

In spite of the intervention of the Benin monarch, all is still not well in the Edo State House of Assembly. From what sources at scene are reporting, the suspended members are not ready to respect a court order.

Consequently, the All Progressives Congress leadership of the Assembly has initiated contempt proceedings to nail the four Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers who were suspended but had refused to comply.

Speaker of the House, Mr. Uyi Igbe and Majority Leader, Mr. Philip Shaibu, had gone to court, saying that the four lawmakers - Festus Ebea, Patrick Osayinmen, Jude Ise-Idehen and Friday Ogierhiakhi - were in contempt of the order of the court, since they failed to heed the restriction by the court not to show up at the Assembly complex.

The lawmakers and journalists were screened thoroughly at the gate of the Assembly by policemen before they were allowed into the premises. Following security reports that the lawmakers were mobilising thugs and arms to storm the Assembly, the police searched the offices of the lawmakers as early as 6a.m., while their cars were all parked outside the premises.

The lawmakers including the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, entered the chambers at 10:15a.m., but could not commence sitting when the APC lawmakers insisted that the four suspended members should leave the premises...

Tension heightened when a PDP lawmaker, Mr. Rasaq Momoh, took over the seat of the Sergeant At Arms and refused to vacate same. The APC lawmakers insisted Momoh should vacate the seat but Speaker Igbe calmed the situation while the lawmaker remained on the seat.

On why the House did not sit, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Kabiri Adjoto, explained: “We could not sit because the four suspended lawmakers were in the chambers. We told them that we had visitors in the House as a result the Sergeant at Arms could not come out with the mace.

“They first went to the Federal High Court and the court said we should not declare the seat of those who decamped to the PDP vacant. We obeyed the court and we did not declare their seats vacant. Now, they committed misconduct, they were suspended. 

"Then a High Court restricted them from entering the House, yet they defied the order of the court by still showing up. Because we believe in the sanctity of the House, we said we could not sit because we had strangers in the House,” he added.