By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—THE 6th Assembly of Edo State House of Assembly, was, yesterday, inaugurated by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, while overzealous policemen at the Assembly detained the Guardian, Nation and Punch correspondents for 45 minutes when the journalists who were prevented by the police from entering the chambers forced their ways in to cover the proceedings. Frantic efforts by colleagues and some lawmakers forced the reluctant police officers to release the detained journalists.

Meanwhile, there was confusion over the authentic nominee from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the position of the Minority Leader, following petitions from some members of the PDP rejecting the nominee of the state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih.

The drama started after the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mr Victor Edoror, announced Mr Folly Ogendegbe, Elizabeth Ativie, Sunday Aghedo and Kabiru Adjoto as Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief whip and Deputy whip respectively.

The Speaker pointed out that there was confusion as to who the Minority Leader was among the three PDP members in the House following a letter read on the floor of the House by the state PDP chairman, Chief Orbih, nominating Ezehi Gbas as the party’s nominee for Minority Leader, and another letter rejecting orbih’s nomination, adding that as a result, he was stepping down the matter until the PDP resolved the issue amongst themselves.

But reacting to the petitions, Chief Orbih described them as frivolous, saying “Those people are not members of the PDP.”