Nearly three months after the inauguration of Godwin Obaseki and Philip Shaibu as Governor and Deputy Governor of Edo State respectively for a second term in office, constituents of. 14 state constituencies have raised concerns over their non-representation in the House of Assembly in nearly two years.
Mr Obaseki and his deputy were inaugurated for a second term in office on November 12, 2020 after the winning the September 19 governorship election in the state.
Before then, 14 lawmakers-elect had their seats declared vacant in December 2019 by the former factional Speaker of the House, Frank Okiye, for being absent from the House proceedings for the mandatory 181 days.
The crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly began when only 12 out of 24 lawmakers-elect were inaugurated under controversial circumstances in the late hours of June 17, 2019 following a proclamation by the governor.
Those affected were Vincent Uwadiae, Ovia North-East II; Ugiagbe Dumez, Ovia North-East I; Washington Osifo, Uhunmwode; Victor Edoror, Esan Central; Kingsley Ugabi, Etsako East and Michael Ohio-Ezomo, Owan West.
Others were Sunday Aghedo, Ovia South-West; Chris Okaeben, Oredo West; Crosby Eribo, Egor; Aliyu Oshiomhole, Etsako West II; Oshomah Ahmed, Etsako Central, and Ganiyu Audu, Etsako West I.
All of them are political allies of a former national chairperson of the All Progressives Congress, Adam Oshiomhole, who was engaged in a protracted political battle with Governor Obaseki.
Two other lawmakers from Oredo East and Owan East, who were sworn-in, also had their seats declared vacant because they were said to have failed to meet the mandatory 181-day sitting requirement for a member in a calendar year.
The former Speaker consequently had called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections within 90 days in the affected constituencies.