Adjoto, new Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Following the impeachment of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly on Monday, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, held a reconciliatory meeting with the warring parties at the secretariat of the APC in Benin.

Also, at the meeting were the State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, all the law makers and the leadership of the party.

The meeting however failed to resolve the logjam created by the impeachment saga.

While the close door meeting was ongoing, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto was heard at the lobby down stairs, shouting “no, no, no,” apparently indicating that he would not relinquish his position.

The meeting which lasted over three hours, was finally concluded at about 5:40 pm, with Governor Obaseki leaving the venue immediately.

Addressing the press, the State chairman of the APC, Anslem Ojezua, who was flanked to the right by the impeached Speaker, Justin Okonoboh and newly elected Speaker, Kabiru Adjoto to the left, said the meeting ended on a cordial note.

He said the Executive arm of the government and the the party leadership had to mediate in the crisis of the assembly to restore peace.

“We have started discussing and we hope to resolve the issue very soon. We are still consulting. When we finish, we will address the press,” Ojezua said.

It would be recalled that 19 out of the 24 members of the House had impeached the former Speaker, Justin Okonoboh, how Deputy, Elizabeth Ativie and the Majority Leader, Foly Ogedegbe, over allegation of gross incompetence, high-handedness, amongst others.

The impeached lawmakers were also suspended for three months.