A member of a civil society group in Edo state, Mr Olu Martins on Thursday likened the activities of lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly to the fights of gladiators fighting for survival in the ancient city of Rome.

“What we have in Edo State is a theatre of cacophony, discordant tunes where otherwise honourable members have become gladiators like we watch in Spartacus”, he said on Sunrise Daily.

He also added that “this is not the first time it is happening”, going down memory lane to note that “you remember that three years ago, the House changed its leadership violently, that time the seat was occupied by (Zakwanu) Garba, who was the Speaker of the House of Assembly just before the court upturned the result of INEC and gave the elections to Governor Adams Oshiomhole”.

He noted that during that regime, the leadership of the House was under the control of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but “there was just the same thing, just that in this case now it is against the leadership of the PDP” adding that “in this particular case it appears to be an attempt on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC)” insisting that “it is a warning” because “nobody has a monopoly of violence”.

While noting that this is not the first time we are seeing politicians decamp from the ruling to the opposition party or vice versa, he urged political parties to be tolerant of one another noting that the “build up to what is happening today… is a crescendo of illegalities and political intrigues’’

He also noted that if procedures and due process is not followed in a democracy, it can only be described as “democracy and the whims and caprice of an individual and not democracy and the rule of law”, insisting that the only alternative to the rule of law is “an invitation to anarchy”.

He commended the placement of adverts that totally frowned at “godfatherism” in Benin City but expressed disappointment that a godfather was “decimated (in a manner of speaking) only to resurrect a godfather-general, who wants to control the whole of activities of the party and the state”.

“We have seen Edo state run as a one party state; we are seeing a docile House of Assembly” he added, noting that “people will get dissatisfied to the point where they will be dissatisfied of being dissatisfied and they think they can push their lot somewhere else”.

Mr Martins further noted that “it is rare to see people decamping en masse from a government that has two years to go” to “where their bread will be buttered” but was quick to add that it is a good thing for Nigeria’s political system because “we need a vibrant parliament for it to serve as checks and balances for an executive”

He however noted that what we have is a change in nomenclature insisting that “once they (politicians) assume power, what happens in a political party, ruling or opposition, isn’t different from what happens from what happens in another party”.

He cited local government elections where the ruling parties always have a “clean sweep” and maintained that politicians act so not on the basis of ideology but on the basis of “personal gain, aggrandisement, economic profiteering and an attempt to add Nigeria to an annexure of a private estate of a group of people”.

Mr Martins expressed disappointment that this “is happening in Edo state because we expected something different because of the background of the comrade governor”.

The Edo State House of Assembly has been enmeshed in serious political crisis which saw members defecting to other political parties.

A member of the House, Mr Festus Ebea said “as from today, I want you to know that the House under my leadership has decided to play the role, 100 per cent, which is expected of us by Edo people.” He added, “I want to use this opportunity to call on the comrade governor to stop his divisive tendencies and make sure that Edo State is made for all to co-habit.

“He is the governor of the entire state, not the governor of one party” he said.

In a swift reaction, the Edo State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr Uyi Igbe, said, “we understand that the suspended members and some PDP members came to the hallowed chambers before we got here and attempted to sit without a mace ; this is not acceptable.

“Let me say very clearly that the minority can never over run the majority in Edo State” insisting that “if they are thinking that what happened in Rivers State can happen in Edo, it is not happening. The majority remain the majority in the Edo State House of Assembly and the minority will not and cannot over run it” he said.

Youth supporters of the APC and those of the PDP staged a rally to show solidarity but they were dispersed by the police before the protest.