The political situation in Plateau State erupted again yesterday, when armed policemen sprayed tear gas at 16 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the State House of Assembly who had been fired by the Court of Appeal as they attempted to attend plenary.
This is despite the fact that Speaker of the Assembly Gabriel Dewan barred the 16 lawmakers from entering the house for yesterday’s plenary.
The parliamentarians and their supporters had arrived at Rayfield Old Government House yesterday morning in preparation for the reopening of plenary, when the incident occurred.
Police and other security personnel took control of Government House and barred the fired MPs from entering the House of Assembly chambers, but the lawmakers refused to leave.
The fired MPs, led by Ishaku Maren, stormed the assembly with their supporters, but police blocked them from entering.
The court dismissed them because the PDP lacked organization and was unable to field candidates for the Plateau State elections in 2023.
As a result, the Appeal Court recognized the 16 All Progressives Congress (APC) members who finished second in the elections as victors.
Although the former MPs opposed the development, their protest gained traction after the Supreme Court overturned the Appeal Court’s decision to remove Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
On January 12, the Supreme Court ruled that the lower court erred in nullifying the governor’s election.
Whereas the former lawmakers’ appeal could not be heard before the Supreme Court, the PDP parliamentarians stated that the court’s decision was binding on them.
Dewan, Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly, also stated that following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Mutfwang’s election, the State Assembly had only eight MPs he recognised.
The speaker stated that the Supreme Court’s decision reversed the Appeal Court’s previous position.
“As it stands now, only eight lawmakers are recognised as members of the state assembly,” he stated in Jos, the state capital.
He stated that the 16 parliamentarians upheld by the lower court would not be recognized until the Supreme Court interpreted its decision, which declared that the Appeal Court’s acts and judgment were flawed and a misuse of court processes.
Maren, the assembly’s Majority Leader prior to the Appeal Court decision, stated on Monday that the decision that recognized Governor Mutfwang’s election demonstrated that they were still legitimate members of the House and were simply on recess.
“The Supreme Court itself stated that the Appeal Court verdict was a miscarriage of justice. I’d also like to point out that the law states that if there is a damage, there will be a remedy.
“Our constituents are willing and ready to accompany us to the assembly tomorrow (yesterday) because they voted for us, and they are not ready to compromise that.”
We will not accept 16 PDP members into plenary. – Speaker
However, as the State House of Assembly returned from its two-month holiday yesterday, the speaker instructed the 16 fired PDP lawmakers to stay away from the House because they would not be permitted to participate in plenary until the court decision was clearly interpreted.
Dewan, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Jos, shortly after a very brief meeting with the eight recognized members at the Old Government House, Rayfield, Jos, said: “The House is receiving rulings from two courts, one from the Court of Appeal and another from the Supreme Court.
“You know, I am a legislator; I cannot interpret the law. As a result, I need to see the entire interpretation of these decisions before I can decide what to do.”The only thing I know right now is that there are 32 members of the House of Assembly vying for 16 constituency seats, which is why I need to see the interpretations. So, for the time being, the Plateau State House of Assembly has only eight members whose seats are uncontested, and my leadership recognizes only those eight members.
“The remaining 16 members will join us once the law is made clear. There has been a court process issued on us over these 16 vacancies, and as I speak with you, there are 32 members claiming the 16 vacancies in the Assembly.
“As said earlier, we as lawmakers will allow 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.”
In his remarks, the leader of the 16 PDP MPs, Ishaku Maren of the Bokkos constituency, who spoke on behalf of others, stated: “We are satisfied and convinced by the speaker’s position.
Follow for more on www.instagram.com/findwhosabi_/