The truth about Edo crisis, by Oshiomhole

Edo State governor Adams Oshiomhole spoke to the media at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday on the crisis rocking his state house of assembly

“You have some people who believe that because they are members of the PDP that they are above the law and they want to celebrate the culture of impunity. But I am a product of struggle all my life I’m used to people who think that they are much more than what they are. And my own life history tells me that only the man on the side of truth is on the side of God and only that could survive.

“The issue in Edo is straight forward: four members of the PDP on their own went to court asking the federal high court to ask the Speaker not to declare their seats vacant. Number two, asking the court to restrain the speaker and the house of assembly from carrying out any disciplinary action against them. The court granted these two reliefs.

“Now the issue is, I can understand why they were asking that their seats should not be declared vacant because they had changed camp, the penalty as provided by Section 109 ‎of the Constitution. But they also went on to ask the court to restrain the speaker from suspending them based on internal disciplinary issues. The court granted both prayers. But when the motion was argued by both sides, the court ordered that the Speaker should still not declare their seats vacant pending the determination of the substantive suit. However the court vacated the order restraining the House and the Speaker from suspending them for any alleged misconduct on the ground that the court cannot prevent an arm of government from carrying out internal  disciplinary measures.

“Now having vacated one leg or the other the House met subsequently based on their rules and suspended these four members. You know as media men and women that across the 36 state houses of assembly and even national assembly at one time or the other members have been suspended ‎for one offence or the other. And in a democracy if any action is taken against you and you are not satisfied there is only one civilised way to go, that is to go to court.  However, these members refused to abide by the suspension order in clear violation of the rules of the house of assembly.

“The house of assembly, determined to be on the right side of the law,‎ decided that rather than physically resolve the matter, to approach the high court to ask it to grant interim injunction restraining the four suspended members from coming into the house of assembly. Because the police was aiding and abetting these suspended members, the house also asked the court to restrain the police from aiding and abetting these people from violating the suspension order. The high court granted this order, restraining them from going to house of assembly, restraining  the police from aiding and abetting from doing so.

“I’m sure you have seen on the news that they boastfully said they will not obey the court order; in fact they described the court ‎order as useless. And when the bailiff went to serve them the contempt paper they harassed and abused the hell out of the bailiff. Which means these guys because they are members of the PDP believe they are above the law, they are above the court and that court orders are not meant to be obeyed.

“Ironically, the only reason Edo tax payers’ money is spent to maintain these honourable members of the house is to make laws‎ for the good governance of the state and yet you who live on law making you are the first to dismiss the order of a high court even when you were the first to approach the high court for protection. And as we speak you are enjoying that protection but the other leg of the court decision that is against you, you choose to disobey it.

“Now the other thing you are seeing the police excessive use of power, compromising the commercial and economic life of Edo State‎, making the whole place look like the police has become an invasion force is just to protect these four members, aid and abet them from obeying court order. So if four people refuse to obey court order that does not mean the state is on fire. You just have a few people who are celebrating lawlessness and the police force is helping them to celebrate lawlessness.

“Now what is my position? Simple. Without state instrument on the streets of this city of Abuja we confronted the powers that be. We confront people who occupied this villa from 1999 to 2007. I did along with my colleagues, across the 36 states we did. So I am not a coward that can be intimidated.

“One thing is that election is coming 2015 and we have defeated PDP consistently since 2009 that I assumed office. Every by-election they lost‎. The last national assembly election we defeated them in the whole of Edo south which is about 51% of the population, we defeated them in Edo north which is about 33% of the population, we defeated them in Edo central which accounts for about 17 per cent of the population.

“In my own election in all that they boasted that they were going to do, I defeated them in all the 18 local government areas including the local government of the PDP godfather. And so what they are trying to do now is that having lost the election, having been rejected by the Edo people and knowing that another election is coming, they want to destabilise the state, intimidate my person. And as you read one Methuselah or Olisa Metuh or by whatever name he is called, he was reported as saying that I am destabilising Edo state because I want to contest for vice presidency. Now that is standing logic upside down. If I want to contest the vice presidency do I need to destabilise the government that I currently head?

“So they have let out the cat, meaning that they are afraid for their own rumoured ambition that I want to contest vice presidency. So the point I want to make is that, if I decide even to contest for the presidency, PDP cannot intimidate me. I have a right to do so if it is my conviction. It is unfortunate that some people want to put their individual interest above national interest and I cannot be intimidated. I’m firmly on ground and there is nothing to worry about.”