There was a mild drama at the entrance of the Edo State House of Assembly yesterday afternoon as civil rights activists and representatives of youth and women groups under the aegis of the Talakawa Movement led by a human rights activist, Curtis Ugbo, gathered for a mock plenary under scorching sun for hours.

With representatives drawn from the 24 state constituencies, the mock assembly sat outside the entrance gates of the complex attracting a crowd of passersby who gathered to watch them. 

Unlike the assembly with two Speakers where the 9 PDP and 16 APC members have failed to reach a consensus to resume plenary, the Talakawa assembly had a speaker in Ugbo and other principal officers who were working in one accord devoid of political party interests. The police were also on duty providing security.

Ugbo addressing reporters on why he convened the assembly said, “We have been watching the Edo assembly show of shame at Ring Road in Benin City. We have seen how the so-called legislators whom we elected to represent us have turned their mandates into weapons of war. So what we are doing here is to take over the assembly as the talakawas or masses to retrieve the peoples’ mandate”.

He also said the mock assembly would remain in session for as long as the state assembly fails to harmonise their interests and resume plenary.

“Edo people have lost confidence in those 24 legislators of PDP and APC who now appear to be representing their personal rather than the popular interest. You have here representatives of the 24 constituencies in Edo and we are marshaling out decisions through committees to help move Edo out of the quagmire our shameless legislators have cast us in the last three weeks”

Hnmmmm a show of shame indeed, all this dishonourable should not be allow to contest in any future election in there respective unit or ward, they should be banned for life.