Plateau: Who is Speaker?

There is no end in sight to the impeachment saga in the Plateau state House of Assembly as two lawmakers are now claiming to be Speakers. Earlier today, Nuhu Ayuba Abok was impeached by eight out of the 24 lawmakers in the assembly who later elected Yakubu Sanda as the new speaker.

But in a swift reaction to his impeachment, Abok who held a plenary outside the Assembly,  with the maze the Assembly symbol of authority, few hours after he was removed as the state’s number three citizen said he remained Speaker. The impeached speaker alongside other lawmakers supporting him later suspended six lawmakers who impeached him earlier in the day.

On his part, Sanda has been trying to assert himself as the new speaker after he visited Governor Simon Lalong at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, the state’s capital, promising the state’s helmsman the cooperation of the new leadership in the Assembly.

The state’s helmsman is believed to have instigated the removal of the former speaker over disagreement on the governor’s leadership style, particularly the manner he has handled the ethnic violence rocking the state in recent times.

In August, the lawmakers had given the governor two weeks to address the spate of insecurity rocking the state.

Philip Dasun, Chairman, House Committee on Information conveyed the position of the legislators to the governor said the lawmakers would take necessary action if failed to carry out their resolution. .

“As an assembly with people at heart, we call on Plateau citizens to have confidence in us with renewed commitment.

“We have given two weeks to the governor to take action on the resolutions the House has forwarded on security matters and how to restore peace.

“We call on the Gov. Simon Bako Lalong to come up with a statement defending us as a people and to bring back renewed commitment to the cause of Plateau,” Dasun said.

But Governor Lalong has denied having hands in the leadership crisis now rocking the assembly, even though he insisted that 16 lawmakers impeached the former speaker, which confers legitimacy on their action. There are 24 members in the assembly.

The governor in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Macham Makut said the assembly and the executive must work together to move the state forward.

He said, “the new Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda has led principal officers and some members of the House to the Government House to assure the Executive arm of its collaboration and cooperation in running the affairs of the State.

“The new Speaker was received at the Government House by the Secretary to the Government of the State, Prof. Danladi Abok Atu, on behalf of the Governor.

“Speaking during the visit, the Majority leader of the House Hon. Naanlong Daniel said they were at the Government House in line with the tradition of the House to introduce the new leadership of the House whenever there is a change.”

The statement added that the new Speaker emerged after 16 of the 23 members of the House signed the petition to impeach the former Speaker.

“The new Speaker emerged after 16 of the 23 members of the House signed the petition to impeach the former Speaker Rt. Hon. Nuhu Ayuba Abok over a series of allegations.

“The new Speaker Hon. Yakubu Sanda said the new leadership of the House will work in synergy with the Executive and Judiciary for the peace, progress and development of Plateau State.

“He said the House which now enjoys full autonomy will use its legislative powers to ensure that Government programs and projects impact the people at the grassroots level.”