From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in Edo state House of Assembly yesterday declared the seat of Deputy Speaker of the House, Victor Edoror vacant.
The House also ordered the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in the constituency within 90 days for the position.
Edoror, member representing Esan-Central constituency, had defected from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the House before the stalemate began on 9th June this year.
Hon. Festus Ebea, factional speaker of the PDP, announced to the House that the APC lawmaker’s action was in violation of the Constitution.
Ebea berated the factional Speaker, Uyi Igbe for failing to intimate the Edoror the consequences of defecting, because, according to him, ‘he (Igbe) was a beneficiary of illegality’.
He said the PDP was not enmeshed in any crises that would warrant Edoror’s defection.
The APC Speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe, last Tuesday declared the seat of the member representing Etsako-West constituency, Hon. Razaq Momoh, claiming that his defection did not follow due process.
The Festus Ebea-led Assembly followed a motion by Emmanuel Okoduwa, member representing Esan North-East constituency.
Okoduwa had cited section 109 (9) g of the 1999 Constitution, which the legislator erred in law to advance his submission.
