Police warn against unlawful protests over Edo assembly crisis
By Titus Akhigbe, Benin
The Police in Edo state on Wednesday barred a group, the Joint Action for the Advancement of Democracy in Edo (JAADE) from staging a planned protest over the crisis rocking the state House of Assembly as it told the group to seek redress in court if it was not okay with happenings in the state legislature.
A letter signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Tunde Sumonu on behalf of the deputy commissioner of police in-charge of operations said the state police commissioner has disapproved any form of protest for now.
Addressing a press conference thereafter, Convener of JAADE which is a coalition of group across the state, Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo expressed displeasure at the way and manner the 7th assembly was inaugurated, adding that it fell short of democratic principles and the expectations from the state governor, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He described the emergence of the leadership as “a minority rule,” declaring that stakeholders were worried because of the violence that followed the midnight inauguration of nine out of 24 members-elect on June 17, during which some members-elect were assaulted at a hotel in Benin the next day.
“This is clearly a case of conjuring minority rule in an assembly that is organically positioned as the melting pot of democratic ethos and the indefatigable symbol of democracy all over the world.
“We believe that Edo is a congregate of some of the most enlightened Nigerians and thus, view the motor- park style inauguration of the assembly as a generational disgrace that some nine members in a show of unnecessary bravado outplayed their colleagues in an unholy hour to install minority rule in the assembly.
“This in our view is most uncivilised, barbaric and a threat to democracy and peace. This is happening at a time when Nigerians are in a sober reflection of the watershed of June 12, 1993 elections when some nationalists shed their blood to regain democracy from military rule,” he stated.
As a way forward, the group called for a proper inauguration of the House, insisting that “we demand for the immediate and unconditional restoration to the ideal democratic order where a proper inauguration for the 24 members-elect will be done freely and fairly.”
