Edo Assembly inauguration cannot stand, APC insists
Tunde Opalana, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that last week’s inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly by a minority and at an odd hour remain invalid and cannot stand.
The party decried a press statement by Edo State government to justify the so-called inauguration while it faulted the entire process that led to the questionable inauguration.
National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lanre Issa- Onilu, at the weekend, slammed the state government for condoling illegality and described the whole exercise as a show of shame, unconstitutional and effort in futility.
The party said that the Edo State government could not dispute the fact that only nine legislators were involved in the process and the fact that the process took place at 9.30pm.
Picking holes in the government’s role, Onilu said: “Furthermore, there is no dispute about the fact that the proclamation was not published. The constitution says you should publish and inform all members. So this is not something you need to do an investigation.
“The facts are staring you in the face. This is not a quarrel between two people. It’s when two people are quarreling about issues that you say let’s investigate. The point is, was the law followed or was it not followed?
“And there cannot be a fait accompli in this matter. The processes are regulated by law. We are not talking of an amorphous society or secret cult.
Now let me ask you, if a similar thing was done in the National Assembly, would there be the question that since it has been done what needs to happen next? If a foundation is faulty, you can’t roof the building.”
Emphasising that due processes need to be followed, he said: “We are cleaning up our processes. That is what change means to us in APC. Once processes are clean, outcomes don’t matter. Outcomes should reflect the will of the people.
“I don’t know how inauguration that violated every aspect of the law, tradition, norms and values can stand. If you fail an exam, you re-sit. How is it that an APC governor cannot allow people to vote?
You carry people by 9.30pm and purport to have elected a speaker. The danger of that is that if you can do it for Speakership purpose, you can also do it to make law that is unpopular.”
