Parallel House of Assembly emerges in Edo, Speaker suspended
A parallel House of Assembly has emerged in Edo state bringing the number of the house of Assembly in the state to two. On Tuesday all the eight members of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in the state house of Assembly including the four earlier suspended on Monday organized their own sitting inside the chamber […]
A parallel House of Assembly has emerged in Edo state bringing the number of the house of Assembly in the state to two.
On Tuesday all the eight members of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in the state house of Assembly including the four earlier suspended on Monday organized their own sitting inside the chamber of the Assembly.
During the sitting the Speaker of the Assembly, Hon Uyi Igbe, and the Majority Leader Hon Phillip Shuaibu were suspended indefinitely. The law makers also elected their own leadership of the house. The suspended deputy speaker of the house, Hon Festus Ebea, has now emerged as the new speaker of the assembly. The sitting took place under tight security.
After their sitting and adjournment ten All Peoples Congress [APC] members in the house also had their own sitting also under tight security.
During their sitting they called on the President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector General of Police to provide them with security.
Meanwhile the state capital Benin has continued to boil for the second day on Tuesday as supporters of both the PDP and the APC continued to clash at the house of Assembly.
The riot escalated on Tuesday as the supporters of both parties continued their protest each supporting their party’s faction in the assembly. The riots led to the blockade of major roads in the metropolis especially around the ring road area.
It took the intervention of heavily armed security personnel, especially mobile policemen, who shot guns and tear gas to bring the situation under control.
It will be recalled that on Tuesday The deputy speaker of Edo State House of Assembly Hon. Festus Ebea, was suspended along with three other members of the House of Assembly.
The other members of the house that were suspended by ten out of the 24 member of the state house of Assembly included Hon Friday Ogieriakhi, Hon Patrick Osaime and Hon Jude Ise Idehen they were all suspended for defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP].