Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday warned the Senate not to allow powerful persons to set Edo State on fire in order to satisfy their thirst for power.
Obaseki’s comment is coming on the heel of the Senate resolution on Edo Assembly crisis directing him to issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the state Assembly.
Obaseki in a statement issued and signed by Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, declared, “This illegality will not stand.”
He said it was unfortunate that the “Distinguished Senate” would act “in flagrant breach of various court orders” 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.
According to the statement: “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.
“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,” he said.
TThe Governor also noted that the Chairman and Members of the 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.
According to him, the Ad-Hoc Committee also failed to inform the Senate of the existence of a valid injunction in Suit No FHC/B/OS/70/2019 wherein the Federal High Court restrained various parties from interfering in any manner with the activities of the Edo State House of Assembly which said order had been brought to their attention in the course of their visit to Edo State.
He maintained that: “In point of fact in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/159/2019 the National Assembly, the Clerk of National Assembly, the President of the Senate and Speaker of House of Representatives amongst others were specifically ordered by the Federal High Court to maintain the Status Quo as at 25th July, 2019.
“The Edo State Government is further aware that in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/815/2019, wherein the Clerk and the National Assembly are defendants before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the National Assembly and the Clerk have not only been duly served with the processes but have entered appearance in the matter.
“We are also concerned that the Members of the Distinguished Senate appear to have very scant regard for the principle of separation of powers as enshrined in our Constitution which is manifested by their taking over the functions of the Judiciary in dispute resolution and giving directives to a Governor of a State who is certainly not subject to the supervision of the National Assembly”, he said.
