Edo Assembly: My suspension cannot stand – Hon Okogbe

Arising from his suspension from the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Donald Okogbe has described his suspension from the house as illegal and lacking merit.

He made the assertion while reacting to his suspension from the house on Monday in Benin City, the Edo State Capital.

Recall that the Speaker of Edo House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Blessing Agbebaku, on Monday during plenary, suspended three lawmakers over an alleged plot to impeach him and other Principal Officers Council (POC) of the house.

The three suspended lawmakers included Hon. Donald Okogbe representing Akoko-Edo II (PDP), who is an ally of the former deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu. Others were Hon. Bright Iyamu (Orihonmwon South) (PDP) and Hon. Adeh Isibor, Esan North East I (APC).

During plenary, Agbebaku alleged that the three suspended members were being influenced by external forces to cause chaos and remove the leadership of the house.

He also alleged that some persons brought native doctors into the house at midnight on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, to make some incantations and dropped charms in the assembly complex.

During the rowdy session, the three suspended lawmakers were seen screaming, “Mr. Speaker, you do not have the right to unilaterally suspend any member of the house.

“You must call for votes. Allow members to vote on the matter,” the victims screamed.

Reacting to the development, Okogbe maintained that due process in the suspension was not followed and that their suspension would not stand.

He said, “The move for suspension is illegal because the rules of the house and the constitution of the country stipulate that every decision the house of assembly will take must be reached by way of resolution.

“A resolution to the effect that somebody must move a motion, it will be seconded by another person and on the basis of that, a resolution will be reached. But in this case, the Speaker just came in, sat on the red chair, and pronounced that the three of us have been suspended.

“There was no motion, there was no seconder, and because he did not follow the due process, there was no voting on the matter and there was uproar, and the speaker hurriedly adjourned even though nobody again moved any motion for adjournment.”

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On the allegation of juju scare, Okugbe said, “Last week, he came and said that he had a video that a member came into the house in the evening with somebody who looked like a juju man.

“And the member said he came to check his Hilux parked because he got information that his driver normally comes to carry the vehicle at odd hours and that he only came to check.

“While on his way, a member of his constituent saw him and followed him to the compound and there prayed for him with a kolanut to wish him well. This has nothing to do with me at all.”

It was scooped that some of the lawmakers have met after the sitting and agreed that a message be sent to the speaker to reverse the purported suspensions “to save the institution.”