The suspended Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council of Edo State, Dr. Tom Obaseki, and the suspended Vice Chairman, Patricia Ero, were this afternoon impeached by eight of the twelve councillors.
Obaseki, Ero and the councillors were elected on September 2, 2023 for a three-year tenure, which ended abruptly, as was done in most of the 17 other local government councils of Edo.
On December 17, 2024, the twenty four-member Edo House of Assembly suspended all the chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government councils of the state for two months.
The Edo lawmakers, who are members of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP), also directed the leaders of the legislative arms to take over the administration of the councils.
The suspension of Edo council chiefs was in view of the state Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo’s petition of November 16, 2024 to the lawmakers, titled: “Insubordination and Gross Misconduct by the 18 Local Government Chairmen Over Their Refusal to Submit Financial Records for Scrutiny,” with the governor, who was inaugurated on November 12 last year, urging the legislators to address the issue.
Meanwhile the Edo State Chairman of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, yesterday kicked against the impeachment by six of the twelve councillors of the suspended Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council of Edo, Dr. Tom Obaseki, and the suspended Vice Chairman, Patricia Ero, both of PDP.
Obaseki, Ero and the councillors were elected on September 2, 2023 for a three-year tenure, which ended abruptly, as was done in most of the 17 other local government councils of Edo.
On December 17, 2024, the twenty four-member Edo House of Assembly suspended all the chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government councils of the state for two months.
The Edo lawmakers, who are members of the governing APC, the PDP, and LP, also directed the leaders of the legislative arms to take over the administration of the councils.
The suspension of Edo council chiefs was in view of the state Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo’s petition of November 16, 2024 to the lawmakers, titled: “Insubordination and Gross Misconduct by the 18 Local Government Chairmen Over Their Refusal to Submit Financial Records for Scrutiny,” with the governor, who was inaugurated on November 12 last year, urging the legislators to address the issue.
Aziegbemi, however, accused Okpebholo’s APC government of using impostors to impeach Obaseki and others council chairmen being intimidated and harassed across the 18 LGAs.
Edo chairman of PDP, at a news conference, claimed that twelve impostors, who posed as councillors, invaded Oredo local government council secretariat, with a claim to have impeached the chairman and his deputy.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the sad development, which he described as worrisome and unacceptable.
Aziegbemi declared that Okpebholo’s administration must be called to order, so as to avoid anarchy, following the outright disregard for the rule of law.
The impeached Oredo chairman insisted that he remained the duly-elected helmsman of the council.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a video circulating on various media platforms, purportedly showing my impeachment as the Executive Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council of Edo State.
“I urge the general public to disregard the video in its entirety, as it is the product of a criminal act perpetrated by hoodlums and thugs who unlawfully invaded the legislative arm of Oredo Local Government Council.
“The individuals impersonated the legitimately-elected legislators, who are currently in recess, in a failed attempt to undermine the democratic will of the people of Oredo LGA.”
Obaseki also stated that the act represented the height of criminality and lawlessness, which he maintained would not be tolerated in a civilised society.
He said: “I remain the duly-elected Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council of Edo State, having been given the mandate to serve by the good people of Oredo LGA on the 2nd of September, 2023.
“If this level of impunity is allowed to stand, then tomorrow, anyone can wake up, invade a Government House, and declare himself governor or president. Such a scenario is unthinkable in a lawful society. We are not in a banana republic, where anarchy reigns.”
The removed Oredo chairman urged the peace-loving people of the LGA to remain calm and law-abiding.