Reps to intervene in Plateau Assembly over failure to inaugurate APC members

The leadership of the House of Representatives has been mandated to intervene in the political situation in Plateau State, where some members of the State Assembly have yet to be sworn in.

The seven lawmakers are part of the 16 members of the House returned by the Court of Appeal after the originally elected PDP members were removed under controversial circumstances.

Nine of the APC lawmakers were subsequently sworn in by Speaker Gabriel Dewan, leaving the others out.

On Tuesday, following a motion moved by the former Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), the House resolved that the leadership should intervene to ensure the others are sworn in for the purposes of equity, fairness, and justice.

Moving the motion, Mr. Wase said INEC, in compliance with the Electoral Act and the order of the court, issued certificates of return to the APC members; however, the assembly has yet to comply with the court’s order.

“Members-elect of the Plateau State House of Assembly have met all the requirements of the law, as contained in Section 94 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Section 72 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022,” Mr. Wase said.

He alleged that the speaker of the state assembly compelled the remaining members-elect to submit letters of resignation with accompanying court affidavits before they are sworn in.

“The remaining members-elect of the Plateau State House of Assembly are compelled to submit letters of resignation with accompanying court affidavits by the speaker as a condition for swearing-in, which amounts to a mockery of democracy at a time when Nigeria is celebrating 25 years of unbroken democracy.”

Mr Wase stressed that “failure to address the delays or biases in the swearing-in of these new members-elect is a total denial of the voices of other constituencies in Plateau State and undermines our commitment to justice, fairness, and the principles of democracy and poses a threat to security in the State.”

The motion was not debated by the House, and when it was put to vote by the presiding officer, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, majority of the members supported it.

Background

In the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, the Court of Appeal sacked Governor Caleb Muftwang and 23 federal and state legislators in the state.

The court ruled that the PDP was wrong not to have obeyed subsisting orders from a High Court in Plateau State that asked the party to conduct a new congress.

However, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Appeal Court in the case of the governor, while the others whose cases stopped at the latter lost their seats.