By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City
In a bid to escape being convicted for contempt by the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City, the Edo State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon.Victor Edoror, yesterday, swore in Mr. Sylvanus Eruaga of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, PDP, as the member representing Etsako West II stateconstituency in the Assembly.
The swearing-in ceremony which was performed on the floor of the Assembly, came barely 24 hours after the Appeal Court had ordered Edo State Solicitor General, Mr. Oluwole Iyamu, to produce the Speaker and the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Lawson Ugiagbe, immediately for subverting the court’s directive in its judgment of December last year, to swear in Mr Eruaga who was declared winner by the State Election Petition having invalidated the April 11,2015 House of Assembly All Progressive Congress, APC’s Candidate.
With Eruaga’s inauguration, the PDP legislator will represent GovernorAdams Oshiomhole’s constituency in the Assembly.
Edoror, while swearing in Mr. Eruaga, said that the action was in line with the Appeal Court’s verdict last December and the issuance of a certificate of return to him.”
It will be recalled that, the state Election Petition Tribunal and the appellate court last year invalidated the April 11, 2015 Assemblyelection of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, and ordered the immediate swearing-in of Eruaga, being the first runner up at the poll.
However, Eruaga’s inauguration became a subject of controversy after Speaker Edoror bluntly refused to swear in the lawmaker-elect,insisting that the House was investigating the Certificate of Return issued by INEC to Mr. Eruaga which he earlier alleged was faked.
Not convinced with the Speaker’s posture, Eruaga, through his counsel, Dele Igbinedion, returned to the appellate court during which heinitiated forms 48 and 49, urging the court to commit the Speaker toprison for disobeying its order.
