Plot by pro-Oshiomhole lawmakers-elect to take over Edo Assembly suffers setback

Attempts by 12 pro-Oshiomhole lawmakers-elect to take over the Edo State House of Assembly through the courts met a brick wall on Thursday, as an Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City, rejected their plea for an interim injunction asking the court to restrain security agencies from barricading and cordoning off the Assembly complex so they can have access to take over the House.

In the suit marked B/81OS/2019, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, Member-elect, Esan Central Constituency; Barr. Washington Osifo, Member-elect, Uhunmwode Constituency, Edo State House of Assembly and Hon. Crosby Eribo, Member-elect, Egor Constituency, on behalf of the 12 pro-Oshiomhole’s members-elect, also prayed the court to restrain the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye, and his Deputy, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, from parading themselves as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, respectively.

However, the court headed by Justice Erhabor, rejected and adjourned the matter to July 24 for hearing.

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The members-elect had asked the court to restrain the Edo State Commissioner of Police; Director, Department of State Services, Edo State, and Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

They also challenged the constitutionality of the inauguration of the 7th Assembly of the Edo State House of Assembly, noting, “there is need to restrain the 1st and 2nd defendants from further parading themselves, describing themselves or acting or purport to exercise the powers and functions of the office of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively until the hearing and determination of this suit.”

Justice Erhabor, in his ruling, ordered the pro-Oshiomhole lawmakers-elect to put the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other defendants on notice of their suit before him, declaring that the ex-parte application because it was lacking in merit.

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