The majority All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Edo State, South-South Nigeria, today rose from their sitting at the Government House in Benin City and with a call on the United Nations and other world bodies to call law enforcement agencies backing the minority Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers to order to forestall a breakdown of law and order in the state.

“The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly is already taking its toll on residents of the City of Benin, with many calling for the closure of the Anthony Enahoro Assembly Complex for the city to have peace,” says a P.M.NEWS report.

“The decision by the PDP-member lawmakers to hold plenary at the Assembly this morning attracted heavy presence of fully armed security operatives everywhere around the King’s square, causing confusion and hardship for the residents,” the reports says.

Some youths, according to the report, attempted to attack the Assembly complex “probably with the intention of causing mischief or mayhem, but were repelled by security agents, necessitating the cordoning off of every road leading to the King’s Square.

“The incident resulted in unprecedented traffic jam. Residents commuting from the King’s Square to Sapele Road (by Agip), had to pay N200 as against the usual N50 charged by commuter bus operators due to the traffic gridlock.”

One of the commuters, Osarumwense Ighodarho who spoke to P.M.NEWS, lamented inconveniences caused by the lawmakers.

“Just look at me, it’s close to10 a.m. and I am still at Ring Road, with no hope of getting a bus, whereas I am supposed to resume work by 8 a.m. We are not the cause of the lawmakers’ misunderstanding, so why must we be the ones to suffer for it? We didn’t vote for them to create more trouble for us. If they are tired of making laws, they should resign and stop causing us trouble. To me, they have become more of a nuisance and irresponsible than people’s representatives,” she said.

The factional PDP lawmakers had earlier in the day gained entrance into the Anthony Enahoro Assembly Complex after they broke the locks of the door, under the watchful eyes of more than 100 fully armed policemen at the gate.

The lawmakers, who allegedly arrived at the assembly as early as 6:30 a.m., defied the early morning shower and held plenary, with the suspended deputy speaker, Festus Ebea, presiding as speaker.

The genesis of the Edo House of Assembly crisis is traceable to the mass defection of APC members in the state, led by a party stalwart, Mr. Ize Iyamu, to the opposition PDP. Iyamu (who is widely believed to habour aspirations to be governor when the tenure of incumbent Adams Oshiomhole ends) left the APC after he felt schemed out in internal elections held by the party some months ago.

The four suspended legislators who recently defected from the APC are said to be staunch loyalists to Ize Iyamu. They have refused to obey the court order upholding their suspension and have remained untouchable by the police, which is controlled by the PDP-led federal government.

•Photo shows the Edo House of Assembly Speaker Uyi Igbe being frisked by the police last week before being allowed into the chambers.

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