BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—Majority Leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Phillip Shaibu, has alleged that the lingering crisis in the Assembly had persisted because some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders “are deriving financial benefits from same.”

He said: “Even after the Appeal Court ruled that they were violating the laws by not respecting the restraining order, we saw on television where some of their leaders boasted that they would not abide by the ruling as they were going to the Supreme Court. We know what is happening. They collect money from Abuja and other PDP states to take care of themselves with the excuse that they are fighting political battle in Edo State.

“They depend on hand-outs from Abuja. The PDP decided to turn the crisis into political issue because normally the House has its rule and within that rule, suspension is slammed  on  erring members and if such persons show remorse through appeal, the suspension is rescinded. It is a normal exercise which is not supposed to degenerate. But because some PDP leaders felt that they need to create some economic empowerment for themselves, they are pushing the four Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers in conjunction with the police to create a crisis situation and from that they can now get hand-out.

“Their suspension was not based on their defection, but because they are scared that section 109 is clear about defection and they know that their decamping does not have the blessing of the section and that was why they rushed to the court to stop us from declaring their seats vacant and as law aiding legislators that are obedient to the rule of law, we decided to obey the court because it restrained the Assembly from declaring their seats vacant.

“So, it is not about decampment because Abdul Razak Momoh decamped, he was not suspended, Festus Ebea is a member of APC and he is suspended, it is about misconduct which the House cannot condone. Our action was based on point of law and the constitution. What the lawmakers did on Monday contravened section 99 of the constitution,” he said.