Reactions have trailed the recommendation by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the crisis rocking the Edo House of Assembly.
The committee, chaired by Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas (APC-Adamawa), on Wednesday recommended to the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General, Department of State Services, to shut down the assembly and provide adequate security there.
The house with 24 elected members has been in crisis, leading to the inauguration of only 12 members while the rest have stayed away from the activities of the assembly.
Reacting, Mr Anselm Ojezua, the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, said that the recommendation by the house of representatives committee was unconstitutional and unenforceable.
According to Ojezua, the action of the house of representatives amounted to assuming the function of the Judiciary.
He pointed out that Nigeria was a democracy with very clearly defined separation of powers.
Similarly, Mr Peter Esele, an APC stalwart in Edo, said the recommendation of the ad-hoc committee for closure of the state assembly, was a sad commentary on democracy and amounted to “power grab.”
According to Esele, the language used in the recommendation was “undemocratic,” and “lacking in democratic ethos.”
He said however that any disagreement in a democratic system was expected to strengthen the institutions and not constrain them.
He further said that judiciary should be left to determine whether the earlier proclamation by Gov Godwin Obaseki on the state assembly was legal or not.
“Whatever outcome must be respected.
“Sadly all the protagonists always get away and the downtrodden pays the price of further neglect,” he said.
In the same vein, Chief Dan Orbih, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, described the development as sad and unpleasant.
Orbih said that the ugly and unending crisis in the APC-controlled Edo house of assembly was a huge embarrassment to the people.
“This unnecessary power show is not in the interest of the state.
“The assembly which ought to be a house of honourable men is now going to be occupied by uniformed armed men.
“We call on all concerned in the assembly crisis to stop this ego trip and blame game and face the serious business of good governance in the interest of the people,” he said. (NAN)
