By Jude Opara, Abuja

The stage may have been set for the battle of supremacy between the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and the Nigerian Senate over the crisis that has rocked the state House of Assembly since its inauguration on June 17.

This is because while the Senate yesterday at plenary gave Governor Obaseki a one-week ultimatum to issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly, the governor has said he will do no such thing because the senate was over reaching their mandate by such directive.

The senate had sequel to the recommendations of the Senate ad-hoc committee which was set up to look into the crisis which has rocked the Edo Assembly since its controversial inauguration, said the only way out was for a fresh proclamation within one week or they will take over the legislative duties of the state Assembly.

Chairman of the committee, Aliu Sabi while presenting his report said they interacted with all the relevant stakeholders involved in the Edo debacle including; Governor Godwin Obaseki, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, the clerk of the Edo Assembly as well as the Speaker.

He equally revealed that those on the other side of the crisis including the protesting members who have refused to take their seat, as well as the National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

In their recommendation, the committee said that the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki should within three weeks issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the Edo Assembly, failure of which the National Assembly will invoke Section 11(4) which mandates it to take over the running of the Assembly of any state where the Assembly cannot sit.

However, Senate Leader, Abdulahi Yahaya who moved a motion for the amendment of the recommendations suggested that the time frame for him to comply be reduced to one week because the matter has been in the public domain for a long time.

Interestingly, this motion was never seconded before the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan ruled it its favour.

Sabi further said that the observations of the committee showed that while the governor actually made the proclamation, the clerk did not extend proper invitation to all the members, a result of which they were unable to attend the inauguration.

He further said that the proclamation did not indicate the time for the inauguration and that it was not properly advertised in the mass media as required by law.

There were some contrary views as espoused by Rochas Okorocha of Imo State who cautioned against the move of the senate which he said suggests that it looks as if the National Assembly is in a hurry to take over the Edo Assembly.

According to Okorocha, the matter is an APC in house matter that ought to have been amicably resolved by the leadership of the party.

The former Imo State governor also wondered why the seeming haste to take a drastic action in the Edo matter while it has glossed over such issues in other states in the past.

Lawan endorsed the one-week amendment done by the Senate leader. An attempt by Orke Jerve to direct the Senate on the position of the Constitution on the proclamation was overruled by Lawan who said the time for him to do that has not come.

But in a statement issued yesterday in a sharp reaction to the position of the senate and made available to Daily Asset, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie on his behalf, the governor said he would not issue a fresh proclamation.

He equally described the action of the senate as an illegality that cannot stand, adding that he was not   entirely surprised that the senate could arrive at such a conclusion because of the enormous pressure being mounted on them by some highly placed individuals who are interested parties to the crisis.

 “As earlier mentioned, this move was not unexpected in the light of the enormous political pressure which had been brought to bear on the officers and members of the distinguished senate by the highly-placed and powerful persons who are intent on foisting their will and choices on the good people of Edo state.

“This is borne out by the recorded statements made by one Seid Oshiomhole (a member-elect and younger brother of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole) wherein he boasted that both the senate president, Senator Ahmed Lawan and the speaker of the house of representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila have been instructed on what to do in this matter.”

The statement further stated that the ad-hoc committee was put in the know concerning the three courts pending on the matter.

“The government of Edo state wishes to observe that the chairman and members of ad-hoc committee of the senate which visited Edo state were made aware of the existence of at least three (3) suits pending before various courts wherein the factual and legal dispute regarding the Edo State House of Assembly inauguration have been submitted to the courts by both contending parties for resolution.

“It is unfortunate that the distinguished senate would act in flagrant breach of these various court orders and purport to come to factual and legal conclusions concerning a matter in which the parties are already before the courts and therefore sub-judice.

“The Edo state government maintains that there is nowhere in the constitution particularly Section 11(4) which enables the national assembly to take over any house of assembly or in this respect, the Edo state house of assembly.”

Analysts believe that the crisis rocking the Edo Assembly is fallout of the misunderstanding between the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole and his estranged godson, Governor Obaseki.

Nine lawmakers loyal to Obaseki were inaugurated on June 17, as those loyal to Oshiomhole stayed away. However, three more are said to have joined those in support of Obaseki bringing their number to 12.