By Yusuf Adua
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Thursday trooped to the State House of Assembly, with hundreds of supporters.
Alongside Obaseki were his deputy, Philip Shaibu, and other top government officials.
The supporters who sang solidarity songs were also armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Edo is not Lagos, 4+4” and so on.
NewsLive Nigeria gathered that the presence of the Governor was to show stout solidarity to the few lawmakers who are loyal to him, following police presence in the house.
Over thirty vehicles of policemen, marked Operation Wabaizighan and others, blocked the entire section of the Assembly premises of the Ring Road. It was considered a pre-emptive move to prevent fourteen members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take their seats in the Assembly.
The elected members have been yanked off by Obaseki since last year, having prevented them to take their oath. The present speaker of the house, Frank Okiye was elected by nine other members, after the inauguration that took place at night.
Wednesday was another show that would host surprise and shock, seven members of the Assembly, along with Okiye, all allies of Governor Godwin Obaseki, impeached the Deputy Speaker, Yekini Idiaye. Idiaye was impeached after declaring loyalty to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the candidate of the APC in the September 19 gubernatorial election.
Okiye raised an alarm on Wednesday, that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state and some APC stakeholders in Edo state were planning to import a fake mace with which to invade the Assembly by the yet-to-be-inaugurated lawmaker-elects.
However, the policemen who flooded the assembly apparently came on the governor’s directive.
Speaking to the crowd, Obaseki said: “I want to assure you that as governor of the state, I will do everything within my power to protect the sovereignty of the House.
“Nigeria is governed by the constitution and me. Mr. President has always said we must follow the rule of law and do things according to the law”, he continued.
The defected governor also blatantly said “Nobody is above the Constitution of our country and so go about your regular duty as a parliament, the way Constitution prescribed. For us as Executive, we will use the instrument available to us constitutionally to protect the House and the state.”
The Speaker, Frank Okiye who spoke with newsmen earlier restated the allegation of a plan to invade the Assembly by the elected lawmakers. We will follow the whole scenario and report as promptly as possible.
