BENIN CITY – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2019 Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) Elections, Oredo West Constituency, Mr. Eghosa Agbonifo, has condemned in strong terms the purported impeachment of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye and Hon. Roland Asoro, by 17 elected lawmakers.
He described the sitting of the lawmakers as unconstitutional, illegal, maintaining that 14 out of the 17 members who claimed to have impeached the Speaker in undisclosed location in Benin City are yet to be inaugurated, hence, Hon. Victor Edoro’s emergence as the new speaker is illegal, rape and ambush of democracy.
In a statement issued in Benin City yesterday, Agbonifo said the lawmakers who claimed to have met do not have such powers since their seats have been declared vacant especially as they have refused to resume sitting since the inauguration of the house in June last year.
Agbonifo said “the elected lawmakers have failed to resume sitting and their seats declared vacant, the runners-up in their election in 2019 ought to have been sworn.
“As far as I am concerned, what they did is not known to law. It is illegal and unconstitutional. We are talking of people who were never sworn in because they on their own decided to stay away from sittings and their seats were declared vacant.
“For instance my constituency, Oredo West has not been represented in the house since it was inaugurated and since their seats were declared, I as the first runner-up in the election ought to have been declared the winner and sworn-in.
“My demand is that I and others should be sworn in to complete the house.
“Their purported sitting and impeachment of the Speaker and their purported election of a new speaker is of no effect.
“I call on security agencies to ensure there s peace because their action can spark crisis in the state because the state is preparing for a governorship election with imminent victory for the PDP and Governor Godwin Obaseki”, he stated
In a statement issued in Benin City, yesterday, Agbonifo said the lawmakers who claimed to have met do not have such powers since their seats have been declared vacant because they refused to resume sitting since the inauguration of the house in June last year, describing their action as illegal.
Agbonifo said lawmakers have failed to resume sitting and their seats declared vacant, the runners-up in their election in 2019 ought to have been sworn.
“As far as I am concerned, what they did is not known to law. It is illegal and unconstitutional. We are talking of people who were never sworn in because they on their own decided to stay away from sittings and their seats were declared vacant.
“For instance my constituency, Oredo West has not been represented in the house since it was inaugurated and since their seats were declared, I as the first runner-up in the election ought to have been declared the winner and sworn-in.
” My demand is that I and others should be sworn in to complete the house.
“Their purported sitting and impeachment of the Speaker and their purported election of a new speaker is of no effect.
“I call on security agencies to ensure there s peace because their action can spark crisis in the state because the state is preparing for a governorship election with imminent victory for the PDP and Governor Godwin Obaseki”
