The speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye has raised the alarm over the alleged plot by some persons to “forcefully take over the assembly.”
On Wednesday, the deputy speaker of the Assembly, Yekini Idiaye, was impeached in controversial circumstances.
Idaiye who recently declared his support for Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19 governorship election, was removed over allegations of gross misconduct and divulging of official secrets.
The impeached deputy speaker alleged that the administration of Godwin Obaseki has not done anything in his village.
Speaker Okiye alleged during plenary that there was a plan by “a sitting governor and stakeholders in his party to import fake mace to take over the assembly”.
The speaker, who said the polity is already heated, added that the plan is similar to “lighting a match in an already tensed political environment”.
“This plan is in cahoots with the former deputy speaker, Assemblyman Yekini Idaiye, who recently declared support for the candidate of the APC,” he said.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently call the governor and others working with him to desist and allow laws of the state to guide them.
“The state polity is already heated by the high political tension from the electioneering campaigns.
“Their planned action is akin to lighting a match in an already tensed political environment.
“We call on Edo people, whose mandate and interest the state legislature hold and protect, to rise against this planned plot to subvert their will using external forces.
“We urged lovers of democracy across the world, that uphold democratic tenets and values, to denounce this planned illegality that seeks to distract a duly constituted authority.”
Okiye said the assembly recognises the constitutional rights of lawmakers to support the candidate of their choice “but that should not distract them from coming to work to carry out the job they were elected to do.”
The Edo State House of Assembly has been embroiled in crises since inauguration in 2015. The supremacy battle in the state between governor Godwin Obaseki and his now estranged godfather, Adam Oshiomhole has forced several members of the assembly into pitching tent with either of the political leaders.
Experts are predicting that tensions would rise further in the weeks ahead as the September guber election in the state gets closer.
