Edo assembly suspends deputy speaker, 3 members

The Edo House of Assembly on Monday suspended its deputy speaker and three legislators for alleged misconduct.

The deputy speaker (Esan South East), along with Patrick Osayinmen (Oredo East), Friday Ogierhiakhi (Orihonmwon), and Jude Ise-Idehen (Ikpoba Okha) were suspended indefinitely.

Back in May, three out of the suspended lawmakers defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Moving the motion for their suspension under matters of urgent public importance, Mr. Paul Ohunbamu (APC-Egor), said the affected members had undermined the strength of the house.

Referring to Order 38, Rule 3 of the house, Ohunbamu accused them of making unguarded utterances, adding that the house rules empowered the house to suspend any member found wanting.

Also speaking on the motion, Mr. Adjoto Kabiru (APC Akoko-Edo) and chairman of the House Committee on Information, said the affected lawmakers had constituted themselves into a committee that was approaching other members to defect to the PDP.

Kabiru said since the suspended members defected to the PDP, they had been approaching other members with a bribe of N70 million to defect. He added that they had also been holding private meetings that could cause breach of peace in the house.

The 10 lawmakers who attended the session approved the motion, suspending their colleagues. Honourable Uyi Igbe, the speaker, then directed the clerk to retrieve all official property in their possession.