Edo lawmakers hold plenary at assembly gate

WARRING lawmakers of the Edo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, held two different parallel sessions at the entrance gate of the assembly complex. Apparently uncomfortable with the scorching sun they had endured since Monday, some of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the assembly helped themselves with the party’s crested umbrellas. However, the move did not go down well with some of the lawmakers in the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who protested that the action amounted to campaign. Police hierarchy at the scene quickly arrested the situation by providing umbrellas for all the lawmakers . The outcome of the two meetings was the adjournment of plenary to two different days of next week. The meeting of the APC faction was presided over by the Speaker, Honourable Uyi Igbe, with the assembly’s spokesman, Honourable Kabiru Adjoto, announcing adjournment of plenary to Wednesday. He, however, cautioned security officers at the assembly against allowing any lawmaker into the complex until sitting resumes. The meeting of the PDP faction was presided over by the suspended deputy speaker, Honourable Festus Ebea, with Honourable Friday Ogieriakhi announcing the adjournment of sitting to Monday. APC legislators accuse IG of aiding suspended lawmakers The APC legislators in the assembly have accused the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Abubakar, of aiding the four suspended lawmakers in the assembly to perpetrate illegality. Adjoto, chairman, Assembly Committee on Information, who spoke on behalf of the legislators, said this on Wednesday, while addressing newsmen outside the assembly complex. Adjoto alleged that the IGP and the state Commissioner of Police had given protection to the suspended lawmakers to hold parallel sittings. However, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, debunked the allegation. “If you look at all the police vans and the policemen here today, they are all from Edo State. Our duty here is to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order,” he said.