Festus Ebea, Other PDP Lawmakers Storm Edo Assembly, Hold Separate Plenary

The impeached Deputy Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Festus Ebea, along with four other suspended members of the house held a separate plenary on Monday morning, July 7.

The impeached Deputy Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Festus Ebea

The Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers entered the Anthony Enahoro Assembly Complex at 7am with a separate mace and a Sergeant at Arms, overheard acclaiming, “Mr. Speaker” repeatedly as the “House” rose, they sat in front of the entrance to the chamber.
It would be recalled that the Edo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, impeached the Deputy Speaker of the House, Festus Ebea – on allegations of misconduct and misdemeanour and elected Victor Edoror to replace him. This act aggravates an on-going crisis which began after four members of the House were suspended on allegation of misconduct.

Reacting to the renovation in the Assembly Complex Mr. Festus Ebea, said. “It did not go through due process. It did not pass through my table, as the Chairman of the Committee on Tenders Board. They have thrown Edo state into confusion because of selfish agenda. Edo State does not belong to the Comrade Governor, neither does it belong to the 24 of us; people voted us in there.

We must not take the people for granted. I have said it, if we say status ante, I am ready to go back to my deputy speakership position but when somebody begins to push Uyi Igbe to say that he must prescribe punishment to his colleagues, I would tell you that we will resist it with the last drop of our blood”.

He also stated that the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, and other principal officers of the House, whom they had suspended, should be prevented from making withdrawals from the Assembly’s account. The House had further asked the Governor Adams Oshiomhole, to pay the outstanding entitlements of the recalled teachers and instructed the 24 local government chairmen to forward their receipts of cash disbursements to the House.

Meanwhile, APC lawmakers also rose from their sitting at Government House and called on the United Nations and other world bodies to call law enforcement agencies backing the PDP lawmakers to order to forestall a breakdown of law and order in Edo State.

The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly is already taking it toll on residents of the City of Benin, with many calling for the closure of the Anthony Enahoro Assembly complex for the city to have peace.