EDO STATE ASSEMBLY SAGA: SENATOR, POLITICAL ANALYSTS BERATE, CONDEMNS GOVERNOR OBASEKI ACTION

 

ABUJA – CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele ( APC EKiti Central), Sunday condemned in strong terms, the alleged invasion of the State Assembly Complex in Benin City last week. Senator Bamidele who accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State over the action described the alleged act as unlawful, subversive and a damning threat to democracy in Nigeria.

According to him, the deliberate and inordinate sabotage of the legitimate activities of the lawmakers in the State legislature is a direct invitation to anarchy and this must be promptly halted before the situation is allowed to get out of hands, adding that the legislature, because of its representative power in a democracy, is the mirror of the will of the people which must not be subverted by anybody under whatever guise. He said, “The legislature is the chief means of expressing popular will, a body that can speak on behalf of, and for, the people. It is, therefore, the assembly of the people’s minds and the general will of the populace within a polity.” The lawmaker who noted that the alleged desperation of Governor Obaseki to secure a second term in office should not be allowed to desecrate, destroy and totally subvert the legislative institution in Edo State, said, “democratic sustainability demands that political players should moderate and caution their political behaviours in order to safeguard the sanctity of democracy and institutions of democratic governance” Throwing caution to the wind by gladiators, he stated, may likely jettison survival of democracy and the genuine desires and aspirations of the people.

Bamidele who called on the civil society community and other Stakeholders of the political process in Nigeria to prevail on Obaseki to allow members of the Edo State House of Assembly resume their constitutional duties without further delay, said, “The wanton wastage of the resources and the hard-earned Edo State taxpayers’ money on the platter of vindictive politics, campaign of calumny, political arm-twisting and the continued halt of legislative activities in the Edo State House of Assembly is inimical to democracy and an affront against the people whose votes Obaseki is currently desperately courting to get a second term. ” Continued brazen efforts aimed at debarring the Edo State lawmakers from performing their legislative functions as required by law is not only a contempt against the wishes of the good people of Edo State but also a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution as well as a punitive expedition against democratic governance in Nigeria.” He called on the Governor to rescind his actions in the interest of peace and tranquillity in the State and desist from taking actions that may likely cause irreparable damage to the democratic institutions, thereby encouraging the total breakdown of law and order in the State.

Political Analyst, Comrade Martins Akpore, berate the Governor, advising the state government to uphold the separation of powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, Section 4 (6), and allow the state assembly to carry out their statutory duties. He also advised, all aggrieved concern citizen who feels dissatisfied to approach the law court to avoid turning the state to a place of anarchy.