Constituency, not absentee members-elect seats declared vacant –- Edo Speaker

Speaker of the Edo State House Assembly, Mr Frank Okiye, on
Thursday explained that what the assembly declared vacant are 12
vacant constituencies’ seats and not members-elect’s seats.

He said the assembly could only be said to have declared only
two members’ seats vacant since those affected had been inaugurated
as members while the remaining 12 did not present themselves for
inauguration.

Okiye said these in an interview with our correspondent.

He said the seats of lawmakers from Oredo East and Owan East
constituencies were declared vacant because the two had presented
their certificates of return from the Independent National
Electoral Commission to the Clerk of the House and they were
inaugurated.

He said, “The members representing Oredo East and Owan East
Constituencies who were inaugurated on June 17, 2019 have refused
to resume their representative roles assigned to them by the 1999
Constitution as amended and also to execute the mandate given by
the people of the aforesaid constituencies.

“You will agree with me that this is a great disservice to their
constituents who elected them to represent them.”

He explained further that the assembly, having had 126 sittings
which amounted to over two-third of the minimum sittings required,
the two affected lawmakers would no longer be able to meet
constitutional requirement, hence the need to declare their seats
vacant.

He then called on INEC to conduct bye elections in the two
constituencies within 90 days.

Speaking on the 12 constituencies, Okiye said the members-elect
neither presented their certificates of return from INEC to the
Clerk of the House nor present themselves for inauguration.

“We declared the seats vacant simply because no members-elect
from those constituencies presented themselves for
inauguration.

“But it was a different case for Oredo East and Owan East
constituencies, whereas members from the two constituencies have
been inaugurated but they refused to resume their representatives
roles,” he said.

The affected constituencies are; Ovia South West, Etsako West 1,
Esan Central, Egir, Owan West and Oredo West.

Others are Etsako West II, Etsako Central, Uhunmwode, Etsako
East, Ovia North East 1 and Ovia North East II. Others are Etsako
West II, Etsako Central, Uhunmwode, Etsako East, Ovia North East 1
and Ovia North East II. Others are Etsako West II, Etsako Central,
Uhunmwode, Etsako East, Ovia North East 1 and Ovia North East
II.

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