PDP Condemns Obaseki’s Reconciliation Committee, Says Edo Assembly Is Not A Property Of APC

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State has condemned the move by the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki to reconcile members-elect in the State House of Assembly.

The PDP stressed that the State House of Assembly is not a property of the All Progressive Congress (APC) “neither are the constituency seats bargaining tools in their political bartering.”
Obaseki had appointed the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Senator Ehigie Uzamere, to reach out to all parties in the dispute and ensure that all grey areas are addressed to make for peaceful resolution of the matter.
Reacting to the development, the State PDP pointed out that there is nowhere in the laws where “persons who have not reported for duty, whose seats in the assembly have been declared vacant and the constituencies deemed unrepresented can be referred to as members-elect.”
The House of Assembly had declared 14 out of the 24 seats vacant citing constitutional provisions that give 180 days for a member to be absent from sitting before his seat would be declared vacant.
In June 2019, 9 out of 24 lawmakers met at night to inaugurate the assembly and elected Frank Okiye as the Speaker.
12 of the seats were declared vacant because the members-elect were not present for inauguration, while two other members representing Oredo East and Owan East were declared vacant because the two members; Ekhosuehi Uyi and Barr Okaka Eric failed to attend the sitting after the day of inauguration.
The embattled 14 ex-House of Assembly members-elect had, on December 12, 2019, approached the court, seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting by-elections in respect of their seats declared vacant by the speaker on December 4, 2019, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated December 10, 2019.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order to join the party as a defendant in the suit brought by the aggrieved 14 ex-House of Assembly members-elect.
Edo PDP through its lawyer, Barbara Omosun, in suit number: FHC/ABJ//CS/1582/2019, told Justice Ahmed Mohammed that as a registered political party, it was entitled to field candidates in the seats declared vacant by the Speaker of the States House of Assembly.
PDP argued that the Assembly was duly proclaimed on June 17, 2019, a position that has always been held and canvassed by Governor Obaseki and his party APC following the proclamation letter to the effect by Gov. Godwin Obaseki.
The PDP noted that the affected persons cannot be referred to as members-elect as the seat are no longer available to them.
“It is pertinent to remind the Governor that they have ceased to be referred to, or described as lawmakers-elect or lawmakers. The speaker declared their seats vacant. The Governor should know that the seats are no longer available to them. The Edo State House of Assembly is not a property of APC neither are the constituency seats bargaining tools in their political bartering.”