Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki on Thursday said that the state would resist any attempt by anybody to forcefully take over the state House of Assembly.
Obaseki said he would do everything within his constitutional powers to protect the sovereignty of the house and the state.
“For us as the executive, we will use the instrument available to us constitutionally to protect the house and the state,” Mr Obaseki said.
“Nigeria is governed by the constitution and President Muhammadu Buhari has always said we must follow the rules of law and do things according to the law,” he added
The governor’s statement was not unconnected with media reports credited to the state speaker Francis Okiye.
Okiye alleged that Governor Hope Uzodinmm of Imo State and the impeached Edo State Deputy Speaker of the house, Yekini Idiaye, had planned to import a fake mace to violently take over control of the assembly.
The governor, however, urged the house to go about its normal duties as a parliament as prescribed by the constitution.
The state’s political atmosphere has been tensed as the incumbent governor was disqualified by the All Progressives Congress ahead of the governorship election later this year. Obaseki decamped to People’s Democratic Party to grab the party’s ticket.
Out of 24 members of the assembly, 17 are supporting the All Progressives Congress candidate in the upcoming Edo State election
The Edo election is a straight fight between Messrs Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki. The latter is seeking a second term under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
