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The crises rocking the Edo State House of Assembly over the controversial inauguration of the house may continue for a long time if the recent resolve of 14 aggrieved lawmakers is anything to go by. They have vowed that no amount of intimidation and threats will make them abandon their call for a proper inauguration of the assembly.
The lawmakers under the aegis of Integrity Group had asked the governor, Godwin Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation for their inauguration.
They accused the governor of coercing the clerk of the assembly, Audu Omogbai, to elect principal officers and inaugurate the assembly on the night of June 17 with nine of the elected 24 assembly members.
Newspeakonline recalls that the National Assembly after considering reports of their mediation committees had also ordered Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation but he has yet to do so.
A member representing Ovia North East II, Vincent Uwadiae, was also suspended by his constituency for what they termed negligence of duty.
But the spokesperson for the Integrity Group, Washington Osifo, said the suspension would not break their resolve to pursue justice and preserve the rule of law.
“We will continue to speak the truth and won’t follow anyone sheepishly. Good conscience is what is binding us. No matter what they do it will not break our resolve.
“The more they fight us, the stronger we are. We are on the side of the people and justice, we will prevail,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday refused to speak on the face-off between him and Obaseki.
Oshiomhole, who in company of members of the National Working Committee(NWC) of the party, had a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the Senate, declined comments on the issue.
When asked by journalists to comment on the crisis in Edo State over the face-off between him and Obaseki, he replied, “that is a question for another day.”