The crisis in Edo State House of Assembly worsened wednesday as the seats of 12 members-elect, who have failed to present themselves for inauguration, as well as two others, who didn’t meet mandatory sitting requirement to continue as members of the House, were declared vacant.
Speaking with journalists, Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, representing Akoko Edo State Constituency I, said the resolution was reached at a plenary of the Assembly wednesday.
The Assembly has been in crisis as a result of a dispute between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, over the control of the party in the state.
Following disagreement over the convening of the Assembly by the governor, 12 members, believed to be allies of the national chairman of APC, have stayed away from the state legislature since inception in June, culminating in the declaration of their seats as becoming vacant yesterday.
Idiaye said yesterday that the seats declared vacant were Etsako West I, Etsako West II, Owan East, Owan West, Etsako Central, Etsako East and Esan Central.
Others were Uhunmwonde, Oredo East, Oredo West, Egor, Ovia North East I, affected from Oredo East and Owan East, were sworn-in but failed to Ovia North East II and Ovia South West I.
He said two of those meet the mandatory 181-day sitting requirement for a member in a calendar year.
For others, who hadn’t been inaugurated since the proclamation of the House, he said: “Their constituents have been complaining and have come to us that they want their voices and concerns to be heard at the House. So, people who are willing to provide quality representation have to be elected to bring the matters of the distraught constituents to the floor for debate and legislation, where necessary.”
He noted that the House also passed the 2020 Appropriation Bill and affirmed the removal of the suspended Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Area, Alhaji Aramiyau Momoh, after receiving the report of the investigation committee on appropriation of funds and undermining the financial rules and regulations of public service.
The other matter considered at the sitting, according to him, was the confirmation EIRS).