Plateau Assembly : 32 Claimants Are Battling For 16 Seats At Plateau Assembly- Speaker Dewan.
Okwuta Audu Jos
The speaker Plateau State House of Assembly,Hon. Gabriel Dewan on Tuesday disclosed that there are 32 claimants to the 16 existing vacant seats in the Plateau state Assembly as a result of court processes that have been served on him.
The Plateau 10th Assembly speaker disclosed this to newsmen amidst heavy security personnels on Tuesday at the Assembly’s temporary chamber at the Old Government House Rayfield after resumption from two months recess.
It would be recalled that the State Assembly had been on recess since November 2023 and resumed today 23rd of January, for the resumption of plenary.
While the Lawmakers were on recess,16 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators were sacked by the Appeal Court Tribunal that sat in Abuja on the ground of lack of party structure and affirmed candidates of All Progressive Congress (APC).
The 16 sacked PDP Lawmakers during a press conference on Monday 22nd January, 2024, in Jos had vowed to resumed plenary today Tuesday.
According to speaker Dewan, “As you know the Plateau State House of Assembly went on recess and agreed to resumed on January 23rd, 2024, and to God be the glory, as you can see we came back from the recess for legislative business. And by the grace of God we will give all the needed legislative support to the Nigerian President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Governor Caleb Mutfwang here on the Plateau State.”
On issue of 16 sacked PDP Lawmakers, the speaker said, for now there have only 8 Assembly members in Plateau state.
“There is court process that have been served on us in regard to this 16 vacancies and as I am talking to you there are 32 members claiming for 16 vacancies in the Assembly. And, as said earlier, we as Lawmakers we allowed the Judiciary to do the needful by interpreting the law and at the right time we will know the rightful occupants of the 16 seats in the Assembly but for now me and my colleagues as duly members of the Assembly remain 8 members pending the determination of the court”, Dewan stated.
Spokesman of the 16 sacked PDP Plateau Assembly legislators on his part admitted that they were satisfied with position of leadership of the Assembly since it is based on legal issues.
“We are satisfied and convinced by the position of the speaker. As your aware we are law abiding citizens of this state and Nigeria, and were law makers not law breakers.
“And as you can see, we coordinate ourselves, we were harmonious in our approach and cordial, and by that we agreed absolutely with the position of the leadership of Plateau State House of Assembly and we will abide by it because it is a legal issue.”
While the sacked PDP Lawmakers fully mobilise themselves to the temporary Assembly complex on Tuesday, the APC would be new lawmkers stayed away to avoid a rancorous situation at the Tuesday sitting of the House for plenary session.
Kwararafa Reporters 