The steam seems to have left the 12 fleeing members-elect of Edo State House of Assembly as their counterparts from Bauchi State who had earlier complained about the nocturnal inauguration of the 13 other members by the Clerk of Bauchi State House of Assembly. he 16 aggrieved lawmakers of the All Progressive Congress (APC) led by the self appointed factional speaker, Kawuwa Shehu Damina, finally took their oath of office and allegiance yesterday, August 2, 2019.
It will be recall that the parliamentary crises that has bedeviled the APC started from Bauchi State, before spreading to Edo State. However, the situation in Edo was promoted to relevance by some politicians who capitalised on the purely internal crisis of the Assembly to cause dissatisfaction in the state.
Their call and petition to the APC National Working Committee and subsequiently to the National Assembly promoted the situation in Edo to more relevance role than that of Bauchi which happened first.
Their insistence on a fresh ‘proclamation’ letter by Governor Godwin Obaseki forced both the senate president, Ahmed Lawan and House of Representatives speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila to pass a resolution ordering the Governor to re-issue a fresh ‘proclamation’ with one week or face a clamp down of the Assembly.
The Edo People Movement (EPM), led by ex-governor Adams Oshiomhole has vowed to press home their demands for relevance in the administration of Governor Obaseki, and the stalemate they have encouraged the aggrieved members -elect to reject appeals from stakeholders.
However, the reverse is the case with Bauchi were the aggrieved lawmakers made themselves available to the Clerk for inauguration at ‘odd’ hours after a special session around 8pm last Friday at the Bauchi Assembly complex.
Reports reaching Midwest Herald explained that the session was presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Danlami Ahmed Kawule.
On June 20, 2019, 13 members elect, were inaugurated by the Clerk and subsequiently elected Abubakar Suleiman as speaker, and Danlami Ahmed Kawule, deputy speaker on the floor of the Assembly complex.
Kawuwa Shehu Damina, was elected outside the Assembly complex as speaker by 18 members under the symbol of a Mace. This situation led to the factionalization of the Assembly.
The ‘balm of gilead’ seems to have been poured on Bauchi Assembly by patriotic politicians and the crisis may well have been amicably settled.
The Kawuwa faction believed to be loyal to immediate past Governor Abubakar Mohammed, conceded defeat and accepted the speaker elected on June 20, 2019 by the 13 lawmakers who are loyalists of Governor Bala Mohammed. They took their oath of office and allegiance in the presence of APC chieftains and other stakeholders, to the admiration of political watchers.
Applauding the development, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir who had earlier barred Oshiomhole from entering the state or interfering in the House of Assembly matter, who was also present at inauguration, said the victory was for the people of the state.
Mohammed praised the members for settling their differences.
The latest development in Bauchi may have boxed Mr. Oshiomhole to a difficult corner for fanning the amber of ‘war’ in both Bauchi and Edo State. The decision by Bauchi lawmakers to settle their differences without external interference remain a huge challenge for the APC national chairman.