Edo Deputy Governor forecloses political solution to Assembly impasse

Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Saturday ruled out any political solution to the non-inauguration of 14 members-elect of the state House of Assembly, who refused to present themselves for inauguration on June 17, 2019, when Governor Godwin Obaseki issued the proclamation for the inauguration the Assembly.

Shaibu, who made the declaration in Benin on Saturday at the maiden meeting of the Edo State House of Assembly Former Members Forum held at the El-Classico Hotels, Exeter, GRA, Benin City, said that it was rather too late for the Forum to seek for a political solution to the legislative impasse because the case rested with the Judiciary as the governor is not empowered by the law to issue proclamation twice.

The deputy governor traced the trajectory of the crisis which made 14 out of the 24-member House not to be inaugurated to the wrong counsel the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, gave to the 14 legislators elect not to make themselves available for inauguration until their seats were declared vacant, pointing out that the anomaly of 10 members operating the assembly was not initiated by Governor Obaseki, as Oshiomhole did the same thing while he held sway as the governor of the state.

He pointed out that four of the 14 affected members-elect were personally close to him and he did all he could to persuade them to be inaugurated, warning them of the consequences of failure to heed his wise counsel.

“The major issue here is that of godfathers. We relocated the house to the Government House when Comrade Oshiomhole was to be impeached. Nine of us did that. Some people then boycotted the house for 181 days and Oshiomhole told us that he prayed for them not to come back. So when this problem also started in 2019, we too prayed that they should not come back. The man who benefited during one time is now at the receiving end,” Shaibu, who was once a Majority Leader of the assembly said.

According to him, “I was with Oshiomhole when he said no to godfathers, I was actively involved and when he turned around to play the role of a godfather, what he preached against, I am also actively involved. Oshiomhole said he was the governor and nobody can instruct his father outside. This time now, he wants to instruct and wants me to join him so that I will be the sole beneficiary and I said no. If tomorrow, Governor Obaseki turns around to instruct a sitting governor from the outside, I will also go against him.”

The deputy governor, while expressing the feeling that he wished the Forum had come earlier, however, regretted that the appeal for a political solution was too late “because there is no political solution as the constitution is sacrosanct; the Parliament does not have the powers to inaugurate them as stated by the Supreme Court in the case of Alegbe vs Oloyo.”

Shaibu however, assured that “never again will a man called godfather destroy the legislative arm”.

Welcoming the former lawmakers to the event, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Forum and two-term Speaker of the House, Mr Matthew Egbadon, said that the Forum was formed for the former legislators “to have a platform to interact and discuss issues that are of common interest and here, there is no political affiliation”.

“The point of difference between a civilian and a military regime is the legislature. The legislature is primus inter pères and that is why it is the number one item in the constitution. The legislature comes first in the order of hierarchy when things are done properly. This is why we are saddened by the current state of affairs of the Edo House of Assembly, where 10 members are acting. It is an aberration and this Forum will see howitzer can engage the stakeholders to find a solution,” Egbadon pleaded.

Presenting the keynote address titled: “The Role of Ex-Legislators in Promoting Sound Legislative Governance in Nigeria”, Dr Samson Osagie, a two-term member of the Assembly, said, “ex-lawmakers must continue to engage leaders of the legislature on measures to make the institution of the parliament and its membership most respectable, and form the bulwark of advocating for legislative independence as a way of contributing to the debate.

Osagie, a former Minority Leader, House of Representatives, posited that “former legislators must endeavour to engender a harmonious working relationship between the legislature and other arms of government by timely intervention in matters that can snowball into an avoidable crisis between critical stakeholders of government”, calling for “the establishment of the National Council of Legislators (NCL), to be composed of former members of the Nigeria Legislature who have served at both state and national levels.”

Contributing, a Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr Fred Omigberai, called on the Deputy governor, Shaibu, to assist the Forum in getting official secretariat for the Forum, which he said was the first of its kind in the country; a proposal the Deputy governor considered laudable and promised to work on in collaboration with other members.

The Edo State House of Assembly Former Members Forum (EDSHAFMF), which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), on February 11, 2022, has Matthew Egbadon as Chairman, with Fred Omoigberai, Paschal Ugbome, Samson Osabie, Peter Ekhator and Uyi Igbe as members. (Courtesy Nigerian Tribune)