…‘My colleagues said they would only do what Oshiomhole wanted’

Rt. Hon Frank Okiye, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly speaks on the crisis in the state legislature, the threat of take over by the Senate and the role of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the crisis, among others.

•Rt. Hon Frank Okiye

You’re the speaker of a house that is the source of controversy now. How did the problem in Edo State Assembly start? Let’s have the details from you.

Before the elections, the 24 APC lawmakers who were candidates as at then were already interacting and some of them even as candidates were already seeing me as their possible speaker because of the way I emerged as candidate. So, the relationship was cordial as candidates then and even when we won the elections.

So, going into the election that took place on March 9, we all did campaigns together and we congratulated ourselves upon our victory. In fact, when all the 24 were declared winners, they started calling me their speaker, even before we got sworn in. About eight of them gathered and met with me, two of them were even negotiating what offices they could hold and what committee they could be assigned. Everything was going on smoothly within our fold until the body, Edo Peoples Movement, emerged and then trouble started.

What did the Edo Peoples Movement do?

I just noticed that these same persons that we were speaking cordially as brothers and soon-to-be colleagues started foot-dragging and some were not even answering my calls any longer, then I knew that there was a problem. At the end of the day, everything snowballed into whether the lawmaker-elects were willing to be inaugurated. They now started saying that they were waiting for the green light from Oshiomhole and his stance on the house leadership; that if he asked them to vote otherwise, they would do so, but if he asked them not to vote otherwise then I could be sure of their votes.   That was how the whole problem started with the horsetrading and lobbying.

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What was the position of the Edo state chapter of the APC when the horsetrading commenced since all 24 are from the same party?

The party actually stood up to be counted and one must commend the effort of the party in the state. The party made its stance known as to the sharing of offices for the Assembly based on the principle of equity to ensure that no zone or constituency in the state was left out. They carried everyone along including those who refused to come for their inauguration. That was why its irritating and unfair when people said Governor Obaseki was the one who handpicked principal members of the house. In fairness to him, he was not involved in the process. It was the party that devised the framework on the emergence of the leadership of the House based on the principle of equal representation. Go and check it, the constituted leadership in the house is balanced and every constituency has something to show. The party actually came out clearly with its stand as to who are the people that should occupy each of the offices and our names were declared in the presence of stakeholders of the party, all 24 members-elect were present at the meeting.

Why didn’t they align with the decision of the party?

They were saying all sorts of things and it was at that point we started having all the problems that we are now having. They said Comrade Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of our party, must tell them this and tell them that. They said he was the only one that could talk to them and eventually they told me that Comrade had ordered that they should go the other way. Later, they came and said they wanted money. I told them that I had not been inaugurated and they could not be making a demand for money. They said no, that they knew that Governor Obaseki wouldn’t give them money because some of them knew the governor very well and that if he didn’t give them money at that time, he would not give them again. They also said that they figured the governor was in support of my candidacy and they would not agree because they didn’t want anyone who had the support of the governor as the speaker. So, until the party met with us and rolled out the list of the people they wanted in the office, we all thought it would be easy and over.

Oshiomhole-Obaseki

What eventually culminated at the inauguration day of the elected members?

It was clear that they had other ideas than the wish of the party. On the Monday morning that we were supposed to be inaugurated, they acted strangely. You would call Mr A, he wouldn’t answer; same went for Mr. B. Some said they were in Abuja, some said they were in Sapele, some said that they had not heard from the Comrade and all kinds of stories but we didn’t know that they went to address a press conference. But before that day, we were all like brothers, we were all meeting like a team, we were all together in the Code of Conduct Bureau.

So, the idea of saying some persons had to be invited from a distance was not there. So, for them to say that they were not invited or the invitation wasn’t published in newspapers was just an excuse to invalidate what was legally and logically done. On the inauguration day, about five of us were there at the Assembly at about 2:30pm and we waited for the rest of them. Before we knew it, some others joined us. When we got to about nine, that was around 4pm or thereabout, we told the Clerk that the law does not say everyone must be complete and that since we had formed a quorum, we could then go ahead and get inaugurated. It was after this that the Clerk commenced the business of inauguration and someone nominated me and the nomination was seconded by another and the Clerk asked for a further nomination but there was none. That was how I became the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly ditto for the Deputy Speaker and other principal officers. So, we rose that day, adjourned sitting and since then we have been sitting.

Are you saying that the Edo State House of Assembly has been sitting and conducting parliamentary activities?

We have been sitting as a parliament. I just drove out of office after the plenary session. Lawmakers are going about their committee work. We just invited the Commissioner for Works to appear before the House over a matter of public importance.

Senator Rochas Okorocha cautioned his colleagues against the swift takeover of the Edo State Assembly. Why do you think the National Assembly plans to take over the Assembly which you preside?

I have said it before on several occasions that we know who is beating the drum for them in the National Assembly. They have found themselves in position of a stooge to make it look like they cannot think outside the box, it’s unfortunate. It wasn’t only Okorocha that spoke against the undemocratic tendency of the Senate, another lawmaker who is a lawyer from Benue also asked them where the decision they are taking on Edo Assembly is supported in the constitution, asking them where the time and venue of taking over a state Assembly are spelled out.

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The truth is that the Edo State Assembly and my office as the speaker are not the real targets of this crisis. In fact, I can’t find myself anywhere in the whole scheme. The plot is actually aimed at Governor Obaseki and stopping him from getting a return ticket as governor next year. Comrade Oshiomhole is actually after Obaseki, the state Assembly was only a smokescreen to his plans. The idea now is to take over the house, destabilize the state and possibly impeach the governor. The Edo Peoples Movement that originated this crisis have boasted that they will ensure that the governor does not come back for a second tenure. But I said to people that that is not the decision for them to make for our state. We don’t know what Oshiomhole wants. Oshiomhole is the one behind Edo Assembly crisis and he is simply after Obaseki. However, the door is open for the remaining lawmaker-elect, they should come to the Assembly, complete and regularize their documentation and they will be sworn in.

What is the way out of the crisis?

I guess a political solution to the matter is getting foreclosed by the day and the courts may have to be the solution provider now. The National Assembly should know that the lawmakers that they are purportedly fighting for are already in the court of law. The senate cannot be seen to be going against its own rule of interfering in any matter that is already before the court. They should not allow themselves to be tossed around.

We are a law-abiding people and we are waiting for the verdict of the court on this issue. The National Assembly must take note that they are to act as agents of peace and not merchants of crisis. Edo State has always been peaceful and any attempt for them to carry out this order will certainly disrupt the peace that is currently being enjoyed in the state. The section of the constitution which empowered National Assembly to take over the functions of a State House of Assembly is clearly and unambiguously stated in sections 11(4) and 11(5) of the Constitution.

These conditions do not apply here in Edo Assembly as the House has been performing legislative businesses  in a peaceful atmosphere with me presiding as the Speaker. Since inauguration, the House has adopted the business calendar, constituted statutory committees, cleared commissioners and passed several resolutions. This is why I advised my colleagues who have refused to be inaugurated to present themselves for documentation and inauguration in other for them to give quality representation to the people who elected them.

Vanguard