Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has warned that the ongoing political crisis in Edo State posed a threat to next month’s governorship election in the state.
He blamed the crisis on the feud between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Atiku, who was the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, said this in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The perennial feud between Oshiomhole and Obaseki got to a head on Thursday with the closure of the Edo State House of Assembly.
Atiku, however, appealed to the warring parties to sheathe their swords and let the people of the state decide who they want to govern them.
He wrote, “What is happening in Edo State is a threat to constitutional order nationwide, and I strongly urge belligerent forces to reign in their proxies and abide by the rule of law. As I have previously said, without the rule of law, there will be no rule at all.
“The current goings-on portend grave danger, not only to law and order in that state but to the coming Edo elections.
“The people of Edo State should be allowed to choose who they wish to govern them, and that choice is to be made on September 19, 2020. Pending then, everything legally possible must be done to preserve the status quo.”
The Edo State House of Assembly was shut on Thursday following speculations that lawmakers loyal to Oshiomhole were plotting to impeach the leadership of the House and also remove Obaseki as governor.
But some men said to be artisans locked up the House and removed its roofs, claiming to be renovating the building.