About two years and six months after their election in2019, 14 members of the Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday stormed the Code of Conduct Bureau in Abuja demanding investigation of their exclusion by the Clerk of the Assembly, Audu Yahaya Omogbai.
While demanding that they should be returned to the legislature because their constituencies have been suffering, they said the refusal of their inauguration was the height of injustice.
They called on the CCB to intervene and rescue democracy, but warned that “Edo will be a dirty reference point in years to come.”
The legislators who were received by the chairman of CCB, Prof. Mohammed Isah, were led by a former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Victor Edohor and former Commissioner for Education, Washington Osifo.
Edohor said, “Your reputation gave birth to your engagement in CCB. Two years and six months, we have not been integrated into the House of Assembly. We, therefore, feel this is the right place to be.”
According to Osifo, the injustice unleashed on them must be corrected to avoid leaving negative history for posterity.
He said, “It is in the spirit of ensuring that peoples rights are not jeopardised that we are here.”
Osifo also gave an insight on how, on March 17, 2019, 24 members of the House of Assembly were nominated, having won election.
He said, “On June 17 2019, ten days after the expiration of the life span of the last Assembly, governor Godwin Obaseki failed to inaugurate us with a proclamation.”
The petition by the aggrieved legislators titled, “Complaint of gross abuse of powers and the precipitation of crisis at the Edo State House of Assembly by Alhaji Audu Yahaya Omogbai-Clerk of the Edo State House of Assembly”, was dated November 16, 2021.
The document was signed by Victor Sabor Edoror, Esan Central; Crosby Eribo, Egor; Washington Osa Osifo, Uhunmwode;
Christopher Ewere Okaeben, Oredo West; Seid Oshiomhole, Etsako West 1; Michael Ohio Ezomo, Owan West and Sunday Aghedo, Ovia South West.
Other signatories were Abdul Ganiyu Audu, Etsako West; Dumez Ugiagbe, Ovia North East 1; Ahmed Oshomah, Etsako Central; Eric Okaka, Owan East; Vincent Uwadiae, Ovia North East 2; Kingsley Ugabi, Etsako East and Uyiosasere Ekhosuehi, Oredo East.
The petition read in part, “Although, the Edo State House of Assembly was purportedly “inaugurated” on June 17, 2019, by the Clerk of the House, Alhaji Audu Yahaya Omogbai, we were wrongfully and unconstitutionally excluded from the said “inauguration”, an act that has precipitated a constitutional crisis in the state where, the EDHA, contrary to the clear and unambiguous provisions of Section 91 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), is presently constituted by a minority of 10 members to the exclusion of 14 members who constitute the majority.
“Sir, our major complaint is that the present impasse at the EDHA was caused deliberately and mischievously by Alhaji Audu Yahaya Omogbai, the current Clerk of the House. This is because he violently violated the provisions of Articles 1 and 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers as contained in the 5th schedule to the constitution aforesaid.