By Adedayo Ogunleye

The political crisis in Ekiti State has taken a new turn as the House of Representatives has indicated its readiness to take over legislative functions of the state Assembly if the political impasse persists.

Spokesman for the House of Representative, Zakari Mohammed, said on Sunday that members of the lower chamber were monitoring developments in Ekiti State and were poised to deliberate on the crisis in the legislative chamber as soon it reconvenes on December 3.

The House of Representatives will be relying on Section 11 (4) of the 1999 Constitution which empowers the National Assembly to take over law making functions for any state in situations of crisis.

The section states thus”

“At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in the state, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that state with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the state.”

However, such a resolution requires the cooperation of the Senate to have any effect.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Eyinnaya Abaribe, has also indicated that the upper chamber of the National Assembly would take a formal position on the crisis in the state Assembly upon resuming plenary on Tuesday.

He, however, stated that senators must have received adequate briefing before any deliberation on the matter, pointing out that the Senate had not received any information about it as at the time of adjournment on Thursday.