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From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Edo State Government, yesterday, traded words over non-resignations of Governor Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa from the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, after their election and other issues.
Mr. Okpebholo, before becoming governor of the state, represented Edo Central at the Senate while Mr. Idahosa represented Ovia federal constituency at the House of Representatives.
Addressing journalists yesterday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat in Benin City, the state Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, said the refusal of governor and his deputy to tender their resignation letters was a breach of the Nigeria constitution and a disservice to their constituencies.
“Two weeks after their inauguration on November 12, the “governor-select,” Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, have failed to officially resign from their respective seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives, denying their constituencies of representation at the National Assembly in line with section 68(1)d of the 1999 Constitution, “A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if he becomes president, vice president, governor, deputy governor or a minister of the government of the federation or a commissioner of the government of a state or a special adviser.
“How can they simultaneously hold the positions of governor and senator as well as deputy governor and member of the House of Representatives? It is only right and constitutional that they should resign their membership, allowing their seats to be declared vacant and paving the way for a by-election. But again, APC thrives on illegality and lawlessness, and has continued to thread on the infamous path, while making a mockery of their constituents”, Dr. Aziegbemi said.
But in a statement, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua, countered the PDP, saying: “Again, the PDP is openly displaying its ignorance. When members of the National Assembly are elevated, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives declare their seats vacant. We urge Edo people to ignore PDP’s open display of ignorance.”
Aziegbemi, while lamenting that the government has not been able to pay workers salaries despite the over N30 billion it inherited from his predecessor, said before now, for eight years, the PDP led-administration paid salaries on or before the 25th of every month.
Besides, he decried the barbaric and unprovoked attack on the party’s secretariat where properties worth millions of naira were allegedly destroyed and others carted away, including election documents by suspected thugs.
Aziegbemi also accused the ruling APC of sponsoring thugs who broke into the private residence of the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, in a Gestapo style, assaulting and harassing security personnel at the premises.
He said it was most reprehensible and unacceptable and urged relevant security agencies to thoroughly investigate these barbaric attacks and ensure that the perpetrators of the lawless and dastardly acts were brought to book.
He noted that the PDP government has done its best and successfully worked on over 340 schools from the many others across the three senatorial districts and that the ball is now in governor Okpebholo’s court to do his part just as the PDP government did.
The PDP chairman urged the governor to stop complaining and focus on delivering results for the people, if he really has anything to offer the people even as decried the composition of the SUBEB Board, noting that it is in total disregard to the provisions of the SUBEB Act.
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“It confirmed our fears that APC and Okpebholo are only interested in the possibility of award and execution of contracts by SUBEB and not the formulation, regulation of education policy,”Aziegbemi said.
But reacting to the PDP, the Edo State Government in a statement, said Governor Okpebholo will expose Obaseki and PDP’s rot in the state.
“The factional chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State is yet to accept the clear reality that it has assumed the arduous role of an opposition party.
“The depleted and disorganised party ought to be apologising to Edo people for mismanaging their resources, denigrating revered traditional institutions, and allocating the commonwealth to a few insatiable criminals.
“His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Elected and Executive Governor of Edo State, is in a hurry to develop Edo State. Since his inauguration a fortnight ago, he has remained undaunted, living up to the people’s expectations.
“Barely one week in office, he addressed and solved what the Godwin Obaseki-led administration could not confront in eight years. He has banned activities of touts across various markets in Edo State, hired by the Obaseki-led administration.
“Governor Okpebholo has confronted and solved the hydra-headed cult clashes in Benin City and has stopped illegal revenue collections as well.
“He has flagged off the first flyover bridge in Edo State and is addressing key and challenging problems deliberately packaged by the Obaseki administration.
“The PDP and Obaseki are worried that the public will be dazed when details of the atrocities he supervised as governor are unearthed.
“Unfortunately, the Okpebholo-led administration owes it to Edo people to expose the PDP and Obaseki.
“Today, it is on record that the Obaseki-led heinous administration dubiously dolled out almost 500 Government-owned vehicles to his cronies and allies.
“The PDP-led heist in Edo State will be exposed. Governor Okpebholo-led administration will expose the atrocities of Obaseki and the factional PDP. No amount of blackmail will stop the Okpebholo-led administration from recovering the commonwealth of the people from a few dubious men
“Again, the PDP is openly displaying its ignorance. When members of the National Assembly are elevated, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives declare their seats vacant. We urge Edo people to ignore PDP’s open display of ignorance,” the statement said.
