Edo Assembly Crisis: CUPP Berates Buhari, Accuses Him Plotting a Repeat of 1983 Political Crisis

“Opposition Coalition views this development taking place in a democracy as an affront to all our past and present heroes who fought hard for the entronement of democracy in the country. The  attempt to use former members of Edo House of Assembly whose seats have been declared vacant to take over the House is an invitation to anarchy and an act of treason,” Ugochinhyere said.

President Buhari was also told to call the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole and his ”desperate” followers, to order before his actions in Edo State instigate electoral violence that will consume the nation and its hard-won democracy”.

The CUPP also called upon the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to mobilise the citizens of the state to resist these political bandits.

Oppostion Governor Obaseki for showing what they describe as maturity in the face of ‘unwarranted provocation’. just as they advised him that while he is displaying ‘maturity’, the red line must be drawn.

Spokesperson Ugochinyere said

“No one person, no matter how highly placed, should be above the law. The governor must be ready to protect the people of the state and his mandate from predators. We shall be watching developments in the state and the entire nation with great attention and we ask all lovers of democracy both at home and abroad to join us in doing so“.

Similarly, the Inter-party advisory Council has been reacting to the Edo House of Assembly crisis, triggered by the forth coming Gubernatorial election. The council through its Chairman Leonard Nzenwa, condemned the unfolding political fracas in the state, calling it a dangerous misstep that can throw the entire country into a major crisis.

“The nation cannot accept a political crisis in a state by insecurity and economic hardship visited on the people in an unending circle of lockdown. The council calls on all stakeholders to ensure that all hands will be on deck for the Edo and Ondo polls to hold successfully in scheduled date as this nation cannot afford postponement or suspension on account of incivility of political actor in the state”.

IPAC noted that it would not allow the APC and PDP disrupt preparations by their actions as there are twelve other political parties that have fielded candidates in the state, advising the warring parties to engage in an issue-based campaign.

“IPAC is aware of several pronouncements and judgments of courts of competent jurisdiction since the Edo State House of Assembly crisis that prevented some members elect from being sworn in. The Council urges all the parties involved to abide by these court pronouncement and judgments instead of resulting in violence at this critical time when the good people of Edo state are preparing to elect their Governor for another 4 years“.

Nzenwa explained that IPAC is monitoring the political situation in Edo and working in resolving the intra and inter-party crisis, just as he urged the Independent National Electoral commission to be firm, transparent and to be on the side of the people and disregard all unnecessary distractions to suspend or postpone the election.