•Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State
The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee has berated the state Governor Monday Okpebholo, and his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa, over their failure to officially resign from their respective seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives two weeks after their inauguration.
Their failure to resign their seats, according to the PDP, has denied their constituencies representation at the National Assembly in line with section 68 (1) d of the 1999 constitution as amended, reports Daily Independent.
The State PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi who made the accusations at a press conference in Benin quoted section 68(1)d of the 1999 Constitution as amended to buttress his claim.
He said section 68(1) d says, “A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if he becomes President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor or a Minister of the Government of the Federation or a Commissioner of the Government of a state or a Special Adviser.”
Dr Aziegbemi also expressed worry over what he described as very troubling and disturbing developments in Edo State under the All Progressives Congress-led administration, which, if not appropriately addressed, could spell doom for democracy.
The PDP caretaker committee chairman accused the state governor, Mr. Monday Okpebholo of running a government that is not interested in accountability and transparency but promoting anarchy to distort efforts at reclaiming the mandate duly given to the PDP and its candidate Asue Ighodalo at the September 21 governorship election.
Aziegbemi said yesterday that Okpebholo, through his actions and inactions, is setting a dangerous tone for crisis and breach of public peace since his assumption of office in just 14 days.
Stating that “It has become imperative to draw the attention of the public and other stakeholders to the very troubling and disturbing developments in Edo State under the All Progressives Congress-led administration, which, if not appropriately addressed, could spell doom for our democracy and serve as a recipe for anarchy and instability, thereby threatening the peace, progress and security of our dear State.
“It is most unfortunate and disappointing that in just 14 days in office, the governor-select, Monday Okpebholo, through his actions and inactions, have succeeded in setting a dangerous tone for crisis and breach of public peace, and we are worried that this troubling precedent may just be an ignition for a conflagration that may well be avoided. “
He alleged that in just last week, the APC mobilized thugs to attack the PDP Secretariat on Airport Road, in Benin City, in their desperation to intimidate and frustrate the party’s efforts at reclaiming the mandate duly given to the PDP and its candidate Asue Ighodalo at the September 21 governorship election.
Aziegbemi added that in the same manner, political thugs working for the government as “government vehicle recovery agents” led by a chieftain of the APC in the State, broke into the private residence of the immediate past Governor of the State HE Godwin Obaseki in Gestapo style, assaulting and harassing security personnel at the premises.
“This is most reprehensible and unacceptable, and we urge relevant security agencies to thoroughly investigate these barbaric attacks and ensure that the perpetrators of these lawless and dastardly acts are brought to book.”
Aziegbemi however called on all Edo people, civil society organisations, and well-meaning Nigerians to beam their attention on the Okpebholo administration to prevent a descent into avoidable, with dire consequences on the peace and security of the State.
Reacting to the allegations made by the PDP, Fred Itua,
Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, said, the PDP is openly displaying its ignorance, that When members of the National Assembly are elevated, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives declare their seats vacant and this the Edo PDP supposed to be aware of.
“We are urging the Edo people to ignore PDP’s open display of ignorance”
The CPS also noted that the PDP ought to be apologising to the Edo people for mismanaging their resources, denigrating revered traditional institutions, and allocating the commonwealth to a few insatiable criminals.
According to Itua, Governor Okpebholo has confronted and solved the hydra-headed cult clashes in Benin City and has stopped illegal revenue collections as well.
He has flagged off the first flyover bridge in Edo State and is addressing key and challenging problems deliberately packaged by the Obaseki administration.
The PDP and Obaseki are worried that the public will be dazed when details of the atrocities he supervised as governor are unearthed.
He however vowed that the governor Okpebholo-led administration would expose the atrocities of Obaseki and the PDP, adding, “no amount of blackmail will stop the Okpebholo-led administration from recovering the commonwealth of the people from a few dubious men”.
