The 14 Edo House of Assembly members-elect, excluded from inauguration by Governor Godwin Obaseki two years and eight months ago, have written to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to cause the governor and his deputy, Mr. Philip Shaibu, to come to their aid.
Their 10 other colleagues had been inaugurated on June 17, 2019.
In a petition, dated February 4, 2022 and signed by Rt. Hon. Victor Sabor Edoror, on behalf of the 14 All Progressives Congress, APC, members titled, ‘Re unlawful exclusion of 14 elected APC members of Edo State House of Assembly from parliamentary duty’ asked Ayu to use his good office to prevail on Obaseki and Shaibu to bring about their integration into Edo State House of Assembly.
The petition read in part: “Our resort to legal redress has also not yielded fruit, as the Edo State High Court has failed to hear the case till date for the third year running due to the influence of the the government (Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu) through the then Solicitor General now Attorney General, Mr. Wole lyamu. Infact, the eighth judge is presently handling the matter without hearing yet.
“Representations were severally also made to the National Assembly and members recommended that a proper inauguration be done, but all these were ignored by Governor Obaseki.
“The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was invited to use a legal opinion on the matter after which he wrote to the Inspector General of Police and relevant authority of the state, interpreting provisions of the Constitution and recommending that the inauguration of elected members of the House be conducted.
“The Edo Governor and his Deputy similarly did not comply with this advisory of the highest national legal authority, to integrate Edo House of Assembly members, as the law requires.”
