Members-elect of the Edo state house of assembly on Monday demanded the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, to immediately inaugurate them.
The members-elect, during a press conference held at the NUJ press centre in Benin city, the state capital, said with the expiration of the 6th assembly on 7th June, the state governor ought to have issued a letter of proclamation for their inauguration to avoid the present vacuum.
Speaking on behalf of the members-elect, the leader, Barr. Washington Osa Osifo, representing Uhumwonde constituency, said it was an aberration for the members-elect of same political party, APC, in the state not to be inaugurated up till date.
Osifo said they must work in line with Section 105 subsection 3 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (as amended).
According to him, “all other states of the federation have inaugurated their Houses of assembly, Governor Godwin Obaseki has deliberately refused to allow that of Edo state to function thus usurping the power of the legislators.
“The Governor no matter how powerful, cannot impose individuals either as speaker or deputy on the legislators. At best, he can only lobby for his preferred candidate as was recently witnessed at the national assembly”.
Chanting various struggle songs, the members-elect however said they want well-meaning individuals like President Muhammadu Buhari, Oba of Benin, national leaders of the party and the leadership of the national assembly to prevail on Governor Obaseki to immediately issue a letter of proclamation to enable the state house of assembly to function and to avoid serious constitutional crisis.
DAILY POST reports that a total of 19 members-elect were present at the press conference.
