The 35 State’s House of Assembly Speakers have accused the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, of allegedly masterminding siege laid on the state’s Assembly on Thursday.
They claimed that the Governor’s move was to allegedly scuttle all known democratic process in his bid to return for the second term of four years and that such move in the twilight of his administration was saddening.
The speakers while condemning what they described as ‘reckless act’ on the governor’s part, maintained that the Governor’s alleged move was worrisome and unjustifiable.
Speaking through the chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria, Mudashiru Obasa, the lawmakers noted alleged that the siege and subsequent renovation plot was carried out by ‘men suspected to be loyal to Obaseki.’
In a statement released to newsmen on behalf of the Conference of Speakers, the lawmakers said the removal of the roofs of the hallowed Assembly is an injury to Nigeria’s democracy and must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.
They argued that ‘the brazen manner the suspected political thugs took over the Assembly, removed the roof and broke the symbolic mace, which was all captured in a recorded video, were sheer recklessness.’
“It is sheer recklessness and proof of dictatorship for a governor who is supposed to be the head of the executive arm of government to decide to take charge of another arm through questionable means as it happened in Edo.
“There were reports linking the removal of the roof and the offloading of gravel at the complex to purported plans by the government to renovate the Assembly but we think this is an afterthought,” the statement said.
The Conference wondered how the idea of renovating the Assembly suddenly came up just weeks to the governorship election in the state and in such manner creating a mockery of the electioneering process and democracy.
“Why is the government just realizing the need to renovate the complex at the twilight of the administration?
“What happens to the building if the governor does not return? What happens if the next administration does not take that direction?” the statement added.
