14th August, 2017
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Following the impeachment of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly on Monday, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, held a reconciliatory meeting with the warring parties at the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Benin.
Also at the meeting were the State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, all the lawmakers and the leadership of the party.
The meeting, however, failed to resolve the logjam created by the impeachment saga.
While the close door meeting was ongoing, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto was heard at the lobby downstairs, shouting “no, no, no,” apparently indicating that he would not relinquish his position.
The meeting which lasted over three hours, was finally concluded at about 5:40 pm, with Obaseki leaving the venue immediately.
Addressing the press, the State chairman of the APC, Anslem Ojezua, who was with the impeached Speaker, Justin Okonoboh and newly elected Speaker, Kabiru Adjoto, said the meeting ended on a cordial note.
He said the Executive arm of the government and the the party leadership had to mediate in the crisis of the assembly to restore peace.
“We have started discussing and we hope to resolve the issue very soon. We are still consulting. When we finish, we will address the press,” Ojezua said.
It would be recalled that 19 out of the 24 members of the House had impeached the former Speaker, Justin Okonoboh, Deputy, Elizabeth Ativie and the Majority Leader, Foly Ogedegbe, over allegation of gross incompetence, high-handedness, among others.
The impeached lawmakers were also suspended for three months.