Embattled Plateau Speaker holds plenary, suspends six members

Embattled Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Abok Ayuba, on Thursday presided over a sitting of the Legislature held outside the assembly’s complex, with the Mace in place.

Eight members of the 24-member legislature had claimed to have impeached Ayuba at 6a.m. on Thursday and replaced him with Yakubu Sanda (APC, Pengana Constituency).

Mr. Philip Dasun, Deputy Majority (APC, Pankshin South) at the sitting which had 14 members in attendance, moved the motion for the suspension of six of the eight members that carried out what he described as an illegal impeachment.

Dasun said that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 92, subsection 2C, had stipulated a clear procedure on how to impeach a speaker or a deputy speaker.

The deputy majority leader, who is also the House Committee Chairman on Information and Communication, said that none of the procedures was followed by the members who allegedly impeached the speaker.

He said that the members did not form quorum to sit and that they did not have a two-third majority required by law to impeach a speaker.

“They went against Section 92(2c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Order 7 rule 14 of Standing Orders of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

“I therefore move that the six members that carried out the illegality be suspended till further notice.

“They include; Baba Hassan (APC, Jos North North), Saleh Yipmwang (APC, Dengi), Daniel Naanlong (APC, Mikang), Eric Dakogol (APC, Quanpan North), Mohammed Ballo (APC, Quanpan South) and Yakubu Sanda (APC, Pengana).”

Dasun’s motion was seconded by Peter Gyendeng (PDP, Barkin Ladi), Minority Leader of the Assembly.

Dasun also moved a motion of vote confidence to be passed in Abok Ayuba as the authentic speaker of the 9th Plateau State House Assembly.

He challenged those whom claimed to have collected 16 signatures required by law to impeach the speaker to make the document public.

The motion was again seconded by Gyendeng, affirming the lawmakers’ support Ayuba.

Ayuba while speaking with newsmen after the sitting said that they had been standing for the people of Plateau and for the truth.

“We will continue to stand for justice, we will stand for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we will stand for democracy,” he said.