BY Prince Joe Okojie.
The developments in Edo State today should concern every citizen who believes in constitutional democracy, irrespective of political affiliation.
At stake is a principle much greater than the personalities presently occupying public office: the independence of the different arms of government and the preservation of the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers.
In 2023, under the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, Edo State implemented a framework giving effect to financial autonomy for the Legislature and Judiciary. Any attempt to reverse, substantially weaken, or surrender that autonomy deserves the closest possible constitutional and public scrutiny.
The principle behind financial autonomy is straightforward. The Legislature cannot effectively perform its constitutional responsibility of oversight if its institutional survival depends too heavily on the Executive it is expected to scrutinize. In the same way, the independence of the Judiciary must be protected not only in words but also through institutional arrangements that safeguard its ability to function without undue interference.
This is why the reported role of members of the Legislature in advancing a process that could potentially weaken their own institution is particularly concerning.
Legislators are not elected merely to support an administration’s political preferences. They are custodians of an independent arm of government, entrusted with lawmaking, representation, and oversight. That responsibility demands that they consider not only the immediate political consequences of their decisions but also the precedents those decisions establish for future governments.
Political power is temporary; institutions endure.
Those who may consider the concentration of power convenient today must remember that tomorrow they may find themselves outside the corridors of executive authority. The institutional safeguards weakened today cannot suddenly become important only when political circumstances change.
This, therefore, should not be reduced to a contest between the present administration and its predecessor, nor should it become another episode in partisan politics. The more important question is whether the actions being taken strengthen or diminish the institutions upon which Edo State’s democracy depends.
Every action taken by the Executive and Legislature must ultimately withstand constitutional scrutiny. Where there are competing interpretations of the law, the proper course is to resolve them transparently and in accordance with the Constitution, not through political expediency.
Edo State has traveled too far in its democratic journey to permit the gradual erosion of institutional independence.
I therefore urge the Executive, members of the Edo State House of Assembly, civil society, the legal community, the media and citizens of the state to examine these developments carefully. Whatever decisions are made must protect the independence of the Legislature and Judiciary and preserve the checks and balances essential to democratic governance.
This is not simply about who governs Edo State today.
It is about the kind of government and democratic institutions we intend to leave behind tomorrow.
History will judge not only those who sought greater power but also those entrusted with independent institutions who willingly surrendered their independence.
Prince Joe Okojie wrote in from the United States of America