Political Theatre: Obaseki storms Edo Assembly

Obaseki

Huge crowd as Obaseki storm Assembly

Huge crowd as Obaseki storms Assembly

By Jethro Ibileke

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Thursday stormed the State House of Assembly, with hundreds of supporters.

Also with Obaseki was his deputy, Philip Shaibu and other top government officials.

The supporters who sang solidarity songs, were also armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Edo is not Lagos, 4+4” and others.

It was gathered that the presence of the Governor was to show solidarity to the few lawmakers who are loyal to him, following police presence in the house.

Over 30 vehicles of policemen, marked Operation Wabaizighan and others, blocked the entire section of the Assembly premises of the Ring Road.

It was a pre-emptive move to prevent 14 members of the All Progressives Congress to take their seats in the Assembly.

The elected members have been thrown into the cold by Obaseki since last year, preventing them to take their oath.

The present speaker of the house, Frank Okiye was elected by nine other members, after the inauguration that took place at night.

Then on Wednesday, seven members of the Assembly, along with Okiye, all lackeys of Governor Godwin Obaseki, impeached the Deputy Speaker, Yekini Idiaye.

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Idiaye was impeached after declaring loyalty to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the candidate of the APC in the September 19 gubernatorial election, .

Okiye raised an alarm on Wednesday, that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state and some APC stakeholders in Edo state were planning to import a fake mace with which to invade the Assembly by the yet-to-be-inaugurated lawmaker-elects.

Security operatives at the Assembly

The policemen who came to the assembly apparently came on the governor’s directive.

Addressing the crowd, Obaseki said: “I want to assure you that as governor of the state, I will do everything within my power to protect the sovereignty of the House.

“Nigeria is governed by the constitution and me. Mr. President has always said we must follow the rule of law and do things according to the law.

“Nobody is above the Constitution of our country and so go about your regular duty as a parliament, the way Constitution prescribed.

“For us as Executive, we will use the instrument available to us constitutionally to protect the House and the state.”

Earlier while addressing journalists inside the premises of the Assembly, the Speaker, Frank Okiye restated the allegation of a plan to invade the Assembly by the elected lawmakers.

He did not provide any proof.

He, however, said that the “presence of security operatives and the ongoing renovation work on the Assembly building should deter those planning to invade the Assembly.”

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