Edo State Assembly: 9 Members-Elect Hold ‘Secret’ Inauguration, Appoint Speaker

A coup may be said to have taken place, as nine members-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly met late Monday night and elected Frank Okiye and Yekini Idiaye as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

The inauguration of the House was presided over by the Clerk, Alhaji Audu Yahaya Omogbai, Daily Sun reports.

The inauguration which reportedly took place between 9.45pm and10.15 pm amidst tight security followed a protest by 19 members-elect of the Assembly over non-proclamation of the Assembly by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Naija News reports that this is not the first time the members of the house will be in disagreement with their Governor, Obaseki

‎It was learned after a team of lawyers was assembled to study the implication of the planned inauguration, three lawmakers-elect from among the 19 that protested earlier in the day were invited for a meeting and in the process, their ‎phones were allegedly taken from them before they were driven to the House of Assembly and sworn in by the clerk along with six other members-elect who were already at the House of Assembly.

Soon after, the lawmakers adjourned sitting till July 17 before they were driven straight to meet the governor in his private residence.

During the inauguration, 17 police patrol vehicles were parked in front of the House of Assembly complex while another seven were strategically stationed on adjoining roads.

No fewer than eight other security vehicles were also sighted around the residence of the governor.

The lawmakers inaugurated were Nosa Okunbor, Henry Okuarobo, Uyi Ekhosuehi, Marcus Onobun, and Ephraim Anehbosele.

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