The Plateau State House of Assembly welcomed nine new members as they were sworn in by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan.
After weeks of pressure from members-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the swearing-in ceremony took place.
Among the new members is Hon. Nanbol Listick, the sole representative from the Labour Party.These members have committed to supporting the smooth functioning of the legislature, with assurances not to disrupt activities or seek the impeachment of the speaker.Additionally,
Hon. Madaki Ajiji from Jos East constituency was elected as the Deputy Speaker by his fellow colleagues.
Previously, the apex court faulted the Court of Appeal’s judgment that had nullified the election of the 16 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers due to internal crises within the party. The Supreme Court highlighted this discrepancy while delivering its ruling on the Plateau 2023 governorship election. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the application by the 16 PDP lawmakers for a review of the judgment, citing the comments made by the Supreme Court justices.
The refusal to inaugurate the 16 APC members had left only eight lawmakers sitting at the Plateau Assembly, prompting allegations that Governor Caleb Muftwang was behind Dewan’s actions. The APC National Working Committee (NWC) condemned the Speaker and the Governor for their failure to abide by the Court of Appeal judgment, threatening legal action to enforce compliance.
Isaac Kekemeke, the APC’s National Vice Chairman (South West), expressed the party’s determination to uphold the court’s decision and criticized the Governor and the Speaker for flouting the rule of law. He decried their actions as a threat to democracy and called for urgent intervention by law enforcement agencies to address the matter.
“The patience of the APC is running out. But because the APC is a peaceful party, it is calling on the law enforcement agencies to do the needful now and not tomorrow,” Kekemeke emphasized, highlighting the party’s frustration with the ongoing defiance of the court’s ruling.
As tensions simmer and the dispute over the assembly’s composition intensifies, stakeholders await further developments and hope for a resolution that upholds the principles of justice and democracy.
