Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki
The Governor of Edo state has defied order by the Senate asking him to issue a fresh proclamation.
Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo state has insisted that he will not
issue another proclamation saying the senate has gone beyond its
constitutional powers in giving him an ultimatum over the state assembly
crisis, TheCable has reported.
On Tuesday, the senate gave the governor a week ultimatum to issue a
fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the state house of assembly.
A misunderstanding between Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Obaseki had led to the
factionalisation of the state assembly.
Nine lawmakers loyal to Obaseki were secretly inaugurated on June
17, leaving their colleagues in the camp of Oshiomhole stranded.
In a statement Osarodion Ogie, secretary to the state government
(SSG), issued on his behalf, the governor said he would not issue a
fresh proclamation.
He described the action of the senate as an illegality that cannot stand.
“The Edo state government watched with alarm today as the
distinguished senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in a step that
was not totally unexpected, purported to pass a resolution in the
following terms: – Directing the Governor of Edo State to issue a fresh
proclamation for the inauguration of the Edo state house of assembly,
and ordering a fresh inauguration of the Edo state house of assembly
within one (1) week from the date of the said resolution,” he said.
“As earlier mentioned, this move was not unexpected in the
light of the enormous political pressure which had been brought to bear
on the officers and members of the distinguished senate by the
highly-placed and powerful persons who are intent on foisting their will
and choices on the good people of Edo state.
“This is borne out by the recorded statements made by one Seid
Oshiomhole (a member-elect and younger brother of the national chairman
of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole) wherein he
boasted that both the senate president, Senator Ahmed Lawan and the
speaker of the house of representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila have
been instructed on what to do in this matter.
“The government of Edo state wishes to observe that the
chairman and members of ad-hoc committee of the senate which visited Edo
state were made aware of the existence of at least three (3) suits
pending before various courts wherein the factual and legal dispute
regarding the Edo State House of Assembly inauguration have been
submitted to the courts by both contending parties for resolution.
“It is unfortunate that the distinguished senate would act in
flagrant breach of these various court crders and purport to come to
factual and legal conclusions concerning a matter in which the parties
are already before the courts and therefore sub judice.
“The Edo state government maintains that there is nowhere in
the constitution particularly Section 11(4) which enables the national
assembly to take over any house of assembly or in this respect, the Edo
state house of assembly.”
No comments:
Post a Comment