Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 2020 Edo State governorship election has appealed to governor Godwin Obaseki to consider the “plight” of 14 lawmakers-elect who were yet to be inaugurated two years after emerging victorious at the poll.
He said the affected lawmakers-elect also included two in his local government – Oredo and the two in APC 2020 deputy governorship candidate’s local government – Etsako West.
Ize-Iyamu stated this in his congratulatory message to Obaseki over his victory at the Supreme Court in a suit the APC filed to challenge his victory.
The 14 members-elect had stayed away from the assembly after it alleged that nine of the elected-lawmakers were secretely inaugurated at about 10pmon June 17, 2019.
The controversy had also led to litigation over the legality of the assembly as presently constituted.
Continuing, the Ize-Iyamu said: “though the matter is in court, you are in a vantage position to consider an out-of-court settlement of the issue, in the overall interest of our state.
“Your Excellency would also do well to intervene in the issue of elected Local Government Chairmen, Vice-chairmen, Councilors and Supervisory Councillors, who sometime ago, were suspended and removed from office.
“Our appeal is that you consider paying them their entitlements since it is now late for them to return to their offices. This can also be through the out of court settlement.”
