Reps and politics of Edo assembly crisis

The controversial inauguration of the Edo state House of Assembly has generated a lot of debate. JOSHUA EGBODO reviews the intrigues and implications of the House of Representatives’ takeover move. 

Motion that sparked issue

It was on Tuesday July 9, 2019, that the House of Representatives passed a resolution, to officially intervene in the crisis rocking the Edo state House of Assembly. The house flowing from the resolution, set up an ad hoc committee led by its former spokesman, Hon Abdulrazak Namdas to interface with warring parties, with a view to resolving the issues.

A motion on the matter was brought up on the floor that day, under matters of urgent public importance by Prof Julius Ihonvbere and two other of his colleagues. The lawmakers lamented how “embarrassing” the controversial swearing in of few members-elect of the assembly had been

Leading debate on the motion on behalf of his cosponsors, Ihonvbere, who initially prayed that the National Assembly should immediately take over the lawmaking activities of the Edo legislature to enable a formal inauguration of the house, further submitted that there was no law and order presently in the state.

The lawmaker alleged that some members-elect of the assembly were forcefully abducted by hired thugs, and sworn in by the clerk under duress, prompting majority of the lawmakers to relocate from the state for the safety of their lives. “At the so-called nocturnal inauguration, some of the members forcefully sworn in were improperly dressed with some in their casual wears….”, he said, adding that their call was for the House of Representatives to do the right thing is in the interest of democracy.

His initial prayer was, however, later altered since, in the opinion of some members, the house can mediate, with a possible chance of reconciling the opposing parties involved, and added that taking over the state parliament should be the last resort.

The panel in action

Few days later, the ad hoc committee swung into action, beginning its sitting with the protesting members-elect. It was to later engage the other stakeholders in the crisis.

The findings

The committee reverted, in its report laid and considered by the House of Representatives last Thursday, that the crisis bothered on the selection of leadership positions of the House of Assembly, and that disagreements started after the primary election for the state legislature, creating factions among the candidates, and eventually the members-elect.

The committee also reiterated the well known fact that key players in the entire saga were Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Hon Philip Shuaibu, on the one hand, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, on the other. 

Also, the Namdas-led panel reported that failure of Governor Obaseki to indicate time of inauguration of the state assembly in his proclamation was largely responsible for the confusion, “as members-elect were not aware of the exact time the inauguration was to take place”. While nine members were being inaugurated on June 17, 19 of the members-elect were simultaneously holding a press conference at a hotel in the state, as confirmed by the committee.

It said the governor’s proclamation of June 14 was also not communicated to all the members-elect, a fact the committee said the Clerk of the Edo state House of Assembly admitted to on record, that “he had difficulty in getting some of the members-elect on phone, and so resorted to writing public notice and text messages, a claim most of the members-elect denied”.

While stating that it had in its possession, the proclamation of Governor Obaseki to the effect that the assembly would be inaugurated on June 17, the committee reported that the proclamation “was published on Wednesday June 19, in Vanguard Newspaper, two days after the inauguration, instead of before the inauguration”.

Reps’ stand

Based on its findings highlighted above, the committee put forward five-item recommendations for the consideration and adoption of the House of Representatives. The house in spite of stiff opposition from few members, subsequently endorsed all the committee’s recommendation, which include a call on Governor Obaseki to within one week, issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the House of Assembly, in accordance with section 105(3) of the 1999 Constitution, and stating clearly; the date, time and venue for the inauguration.

It also declared all actions so far taken by the state House of Assembly since the controversial inauguration of June 17, null and void, as well as called on all members-elect of the state legislature to dissolve their factions in the interest of peace and stability of the house, and a further directive on the Inspector General of Police, and the DG, Department of State Services (DSS), to shut down and protect premises of the state legislature.

The House of Representatives, however, resolved that where the suggested options above failed to restore normalcy to the House of Assembly, “the National Assembly should invoke the provisions of section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, to take over the state House of Assembly until when situation normalises”.

The politics

As established by the ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives, it is glaring to many Nigerians that the crisis is political, and fallout of power tussle between the state governor, and the national chairman of APC.

In an apparent swift response to the House of Representatives’ move, Governor Obaseki said he had performed his required duty in accordance with provisions of the nation’s constitution. He undoubtedly issued a proclamation for the inauguration, but whether it was in tandem with established conventions however remained the case.

Just days after the governor’s reaction, a purported impeachment notice against Obaseki started circulating. However, a group of members of the elected members of the assembly absolved themselves from the notice. They said the notice did not emanate from them. The group of 14 in a statement issued in Abuja said the document is fake and a calculated attempt to smear their names for standing on the path of truth, adding that their disagreement about the inauguration of the assembly was for the proper thing to be done.

“We, the elected members of Edo state House of Assembly (EDHA), that have been away from our state, as a result of the harassment and intimidation we faced for rejecting impunity and standing for the truth, hereby wish to inform the people of Edo state and the general public that, the impeachment notice on the Governor of Edo state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, currently being circulated on social media, is not from us.

“The document is fake, treacherous, insipid and a calculated attempt to smear our names for standing on the path of truth”, they stated.

So was it the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob? It is unclear yet who is behind the impeachment saga even though fingers were pointed by followers of the crisis at the direction of Oshiomole, this may also not be factual. Analysts, however, said in politics, especially as it is done in our climes, anything can happen. 

Would the Senate concur?

The House of Representatives, by the rules, even as its position on the lingering crisis has been known, cannot have its resolution effected except with the concurrence of the Senate. But it is highly doubtful if the Senate would unanimously do so. Available information have suggested that both chambers of the National Assembly would be embarking on their annual recess this week, and issues of this nature may be hard to be hurriedly addressed.

Pundits have also suggested that rather than unyielding grandstanding by the political actors in Edo state, dialogue may be the best option for the way forward. A similar resolution during the last assembly of the house, on the Kogi state House of Assembly, was a reference point: that it was of no effect, and that this (Edo’s) may not be different.

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