There is a popular adage that ‘pride comes before a fall’. Pride, ego-tripping and foolish loyalty to godfatherism are what has held down some Edo State lawmakers who had relocated to Abuja, their new abode since the crisis over the inauguration of Edo State House of Assembly started.
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It is now crystals clear that from the onset that the lawmakers do not give a hoot about their constituents who voted them into office to attract development to their areas.
The Edo based Abuja rebel members-elect seem to have been carried away by empty promises and few dollars thrown at them to continue to hold on to their unlawful and meaningless ground that Obaseki must issue a fresh proclamation.
It is embarrassing, especially in Edo State where political godfathers was fought, defeated and buried by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, only for godfatherism to resurrect in a form never seen in the political annals of the state.
No wonder, it was easier for lawmakers in the Bauchi State House of Assembly to easily resolve their differences without any much external force manipulating them. The simple reason is because there is no godfather in Bauchi State.
In the case of Bauchi, the crisis appears even more complicated following the emergence of two factional speakers of both APC extractions after the inauguration of the members-elect at two separate locations.
Abubakar Suleiman (Ningi, APC) was elected by 13 members with the clerk presiding over the sitting inside the Assembly complex, while the factional speaker, Kawuwa Damina (Darazo, APC), was elected outside the Assembly complex by 17 members under the symbol of a Mace without another member elect presiding.
However, in order to permanently resolve the crisis, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, set up an investigative panel, which came to Bauchi and held a 3-day public hearing to unravel the issues as well as make recommendations. But days after the Panel submitted its report, the factional speaker who is the immediate past speaker, Kawuwa Damina, led the remaining 16 members to take their oath of office and oath of allegiance.
While the NASS also threatened to take over the assembly should they fail to resolve the crisis after the expiration of the ultimatum issued, the assembly approached the court, which subsequently barred the federal lawmakers from carrying out their action. The situation was not any different from that of Edo State, except that the entire 24 members-elect of the house are made up of the ruling party, APC.
The contending issues being raised was that the two houses were not properly inaugurated, and hence, the need to do the right thing for legislative business not to be affected.
It must be added here, however, that the impasse in the Edo State House of Assembly have never affected the law making business for which the members were elected by their constituents to represent.
While the crisis in Edo seems to be escalating by the day as a result of the fact that several political actors in the state are using the
elected lawmakers who have refused to be inaugurated to undermine the governor and also to destabilise governance in the state, in Bauchi, where the members are from three political parties, have been resolved amicably.
In Bauchi, the factional speaker, Kawuwa Damina, and the remaining 16 members have bowed to sense of reason, love for their constituency and have been inaugurated. But in Edo, the lawmakers choose to abandon their constitutional responsibility of making laws for the state and their constituents in particular, and preferred to be used to fight the governor that have changed the narrative in the state since his inauguration.
The Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, who was also at the Assembly complex as an observer during the special session, described the inauguration of other members of the house as a victory for democracy and the people of the state.
The governor commended Damina and his group for bowing to pressure and for coming to be sworn in, pointing out that the crisis in the Assembly has been resolved in the interest of the state.
“This misunderstanding and the resolution, by the grace of Allah, has shown that there is no victor, there is no vanquish. Those who came now, have exercised their democratic rights and of course, I am willing and ready to work with every one of them and I have no malice against them and I want to tell the Federation of Nigeria, that in Bauchi, we practice participatory democracy, democracy at its best.”
But this is not the case in Edo State, rather than listening to voices of reasons and join their colleagues that have already been inaugurated, the other lawmakers are now sheltered in Abuja by ‘powerful’ politicians whose intent and purpose is to cause confusion and distort governance in the state.
These politicians who have their eyes fixed at stopping Obaseki’s second term ambition, are not only paying the bills of these ‘Abuja based lawmakers’ they have gone further to influence the National Assembly to take over the responsibility of the State House of Assembly.
The move by the National Assembly have not only been seen as an affront in the constitution of the land, but a grave injustice to the people of the state, as well as the sitting governor.
It is to this end that the immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, warned the senate against interfering in the Edo House of Assembly crisis. The immediate governor of Imo had advised the senate to steer clear of the crisis in the State Assembly and allow the APC settle it as a family affair. Similarly, an elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, also sounded a similarly warning against the forceful taking over of the Edo State Assembly by the NASS.
Worried about the stand of the federal lawmakers, the former federal commissioner wrote a warning letter to the House of Representatives on his feelings against the recommendations of the committees set up by the NASS on Edo Assembly crisis.
The elder statesman argued that the Senate went against the constitution in its resolution on the Edo House of Assembly, warning that interfering in the crisis might be an invitation to anarchy.
Clark said he was not in agreement with the position of the Senate asking Governor Godwin Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation to the House. Clark, who had earlier written a letter to the speaker of the House of the Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, after the green chamber’s resolution on the state Assembly, argued that section 101 of the constitution allows every legislature to adopt its own house rules.
According to him, the situation in Edo has not reached a level where it can be overtaken by the National Assembly. The elder statesman said despite his warning to the House of Representatives, the former seemed to have recruited the Senate or that the upper chamber decided to compete with its decision.
“It is unconstitutional and wrong for the National Assembly to ‘order, direct’ the Edo state governor to issue a fresh proclamation. Section 3 places such activity squarely on the exclusive list,” Clark said.
Obaseki’s contention, however, is that his initial proclamation stands and that he cannot issue a second. It is in this regard that the “Abuja Base Edo lawmakers”, should not
allow themselves to be used to play unholy politics being played by some politicians whose intent is to cause chaos in the state and make the “Wake and See” governor lose focus on governance.
They should listen to the voice of reasons by towing the same line that the Bauchi lawmakers have used to settle their differences. They must realise that they are just individuals’ chosen among several others to represent their constituencies.
From the recent court rulings restraining the DSS, National Assembly, and the Nigeria Police from interfering with the day to day activities of the Edo State House of Assembly pending the determination of the case, it is expected that the rebellious lawmakers will heed to sense of reasoning and join their colleagues in moving the state forward.
-Ehigiator, writes from Ekpoma
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