There was mild drama on Thursday at the Edo State House of Assembly, located at Ring Road axis of Benin City, as thugs were seen pulling down a dummy mace mounted at the roof of the Assembly.
Igbere TV reports the move comes following the foiled forceful takeover of the Assembly complex by 17 lawmakers of the APC and loyalists of the Party’s Governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The order was reportedly issued by the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu who have since decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the APC.
Igbere TV had reported how security agencies, believed to be drafted from Abuja, on Thursday, stormed the Edo Assembly complex to provide security cover to the 17 APC lawmakers and Ize-Iyamu’s loyalists.
The move, which was to allow fresh inauguration of the APC loyalists, and the impeachment of the Speaker, Frank Okiye; the Governor and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, was however foiled when Obaseki, Shaibu and supporters stormed the complex.
Our correspondent later observed that thugs were immediately drafted to forcefully pull down the mace over fears that it may be used for the impeachment plans against Obaseki and his 5 loyalist-lawmakers.
The original mace is currently at Government House where sittings have been taking place for over a month by the pro-Obaseki lawmakers, claiming the Assembly complex was being fumigated over COVID-19 scare.
Earlier, heavy duty trucks from Government House were seen heaping sand and other construction materials at both the entrance and exit gates of the Assembly to prevent entry.
The roofs of the Edo Assembly complex were also forcefully removed on the alleged orders of Governor Obaseki, under the guise that they were old and needed to be replaced.
