There was drama in Jos, the Plateau State capital, as two lawmakers, Nuhu Abok Ayuba and Yakubu Sanda claimed to be the authentic speaker of the State House of Assembly.
The development created tension among residents of the area following the deployment of stern-looking security personnel to take over the complex and its surrounding.
Consequently, the entrance to the assembly was sealed off as a result of the renewed power tussle between the two members who are laying claims to the speakership.
Sanda was recognised as the speaker until Monday when a high court in the state declared that the hitherto impeached speaker, Abok Ayuba, is the authentic speaker saying he was illegally removed from office.
The following day, Abok held a plenary while some members of Sanda’s faction obtained a stay of execution order and also appealed against the Monday reinstatement of Abok by the court.
Early Wednesday morning, the two speakers were billed to hold plenary, thereby, raising tension.
But security agents intervened with about 15 security vehicles deployed and stationed at strategic locations around the vicinity of the assembly, while those in mufti were seen patrolling in the area.
Vehicles were diverted from the entire area to other routes as supporters of the two camps, who were preparing to occupy the assembly, could not do so.
The state commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka, held a meeting with Ayuba and some members of the assembly Wednesday morning, but details of their discussion were not made known.
Abok was impeached after a vote of no confidence was passed by eight out of the 24 members of the assembly on October 28, 2021at about 6am ending weeks of tense relationship between the lawmaker and Governor Simon Lalong.
Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda representing Pengana constituency in the state assembly was elected as new speaker by the members.
After that, the new speaker and all the members who participated in the impeachment of Hon Ayuba headed straight to the Old Government House where he was presented to Governor Lalong who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Prof Danladi Abok Atu.
Before Abok’s purported impeachment, he was having a running battle with the governor over the way he handled the Jebbu Miango and Yelwa Zangam killings.
The House of Assembly under Abok’s leadership was not impressed with the way Governor Lalong handled the crises and consequently gave him two weeks ultimatum to visit the victims of the attacks with a view to addressing the security challenges confronting the state or risk being impeached.
Abok’s other sins include taking an exception to the disposition of Governor Lalong who was accused of being literally asleep when the state was on fire. The governor also refused to visit students of the Plateau State Polytechnic who were brutalised by security agencies during a peaceful protest, but the state government denied any of such happenings.
These and many others did not go down well with the executive. Since then, there was total love lost between the two arms of government in the state. Apparently waking up from slumber, the executive thought that the only way to deal with Abok was to have him removed and install their stooges.
Not satisfied with what they called a charade and rape of democracy, two members of the assembly sued the state government and 15 others over the illegal impeachment of the speaker, Rt. Hon. Ayuba.
The two lawmakers are Hon. Gwottson Fom representing Jos South and his counterpart from Langtang North state constituency, Hon. Tyem Pirfa Jinfa.
The duo, in an originating summon with suit No PLD/J 585/2021 between Hon. Gwottson D Fom and Hon. Tyem Pirfa Jinfa vs Rt. Hon Nuhu Abok Ayuba and 16 others, asked the court to nullify the sitting of the house on October 28, 2021 where Abok was said to have been impeached illegally.
Fom told the court that the impeachment was illegal because fewer than two thirds of the members sat at 6am which is considered an unparliamentary time.
The plaintiffs prayed the court to nullify the said sitting of the house whereby eight members purportedly removed Abok and asked the court to stop Hon. Yakubu Sanda from parading himself as the speaker of the assembly.
They also alleged that the speaker was not given a fair hearing contrary to the rules of the house as he ought to have been served with notice of the allegations and a committee set up to investigate him.
By the rules, it is only where the committee indicts the speaker and 16 members of the house vote to support the report of the committee that the speaker would be removed.
This, the plaintiffs alleged, was not done and so they are asking the court to nullify the impeachment and confirm Hon Abok as the speaker and restrain Hon Yakubu Sanda from parading himself as the speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, Justice Nafisa Musa of the Plateau State high Court 6 sitting in Jos on Monday upheld the submissions of the complainants that the impeachment was illegal and therefore null and void.
The court further awarded the sum of N1.5million as cost of appearance and the sum of N138,000 as cost of filing the matter against the defenders and ordered Sanda to stop parading himself as the speaker of the assembly.
The reinstated speaker, Rt. Hon. Abok resumed office the following day. He drove into the assembly complex a few minutes to 10am on Tuesday and then headed straight to the speaker’s office.
Some lawmakers were later seen with him in his office.
It was gathered that the clerk of the house and the commissioner of Police have been served with the orders of the court reinstating Ayuba as the speaker.
Chuwang Paul, Counsel to the Gwottson Fom, member representing Jos South State constituency and Tyem Pirfa Jinfa, member representing Langtang North North constituency who were claimant in the matter confirmed that the clerk and the CP were served with the order of court on Monday.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after taking over office, Ayuba appreciated the security agencies and the general public for their support.
He called on the former speaker Hon. Yakubu Sanda representing Pengana state constituency to join him and other members of the house to commence sitting.
However, the joy of Abok was cut short when Hon. Daniel Nanlong, majority leader and member of Sanda’s faction said the house is unaware of the court’s judgement reinstating Ayuba.
Mr Nanlong, who is also the House Committee chairman on Information told a news conference that while the house has confidence in the judiciary and the nation’s democracy, there could not be two captains on a ship.
According to him, there is no vacuum in the headship of the assembly as Mr Yakubu Sanda remains the speaker of the House of Assembly.
“To the best of my knowledge, the house has not been served any court judgement.
“Even if there is any judgement to that effect, the house has the right to appeal the judgement and also get a stay of execution,” he said.
The north central zonal director of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Steve Aluko while speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday on the speakership tussle said the speaker of the Plateau assembly is Abok Ayuba.
According to him, any other person parading himself as speaker is contempt of court because Sanda’s election as speaker has been declared null and void by a court of competent jurisdiction.
He argued that if the majority leader of the house said they have not been served with the orders of the court, it is the clerk of the house that has a say on that as he is the one that can say if he has seen the orders of the court or not.
“That they have seen the court order or not is of minimal consequences. The best Abok can do, if that is their claims, is for his lawyers to serve the clerk of the house and on that basis, take over the leadership of the house immediately because it is a declarative judgment.”
“It goes to show clearly that the majority leader has not represented Plateau well. If they do while they lasted how come they do not consider any of the 45 items for constitutional amendment? How come they did not grant LG autonomy?” he queried.
However, the Plateau State commissioner of police, Mr Bartholomew Onyeka, has given reasons why the
State House of Assembly will
remain sealed until the lawmakers resolve their differences.
He warned the legislators and their supporters to steer off the assembly till further notice.
The commissioner of Police who stated this while addressing newsmen in Jos said the command sealed the assembly complex as a result of threats and counter-threats that kept mounting on a daily basis over the unfortunate development. According to him, the police command had invited both parties to the leadership position for a meeting to find a way out of the impasse, adding that only three of the twenty members of the house turned up for the meeting while the rest stayed away without any reason.
“Nigeria is a very complex country; in spite of our presence, people are still planning to attack the place. So what do you expect from us in this situation? Certainly, we would not allow recklessness. The lawmakers should stay off the assembly for now until all the contending issues are resolved,” he stated. Onyeka pointed out that the deployment of police personnel to the State House of Assembly wasn’t targeted at any group or person, as it was merely preventive to maintain peace, protect lives and property and prevent the breakdown of law and order.
According to him, the Police, who are also parties to the suit, filed notices and injunctions of appeal and stays of execution on the same day, April 3, 2023, which were equally served on the parties concerned, adding that from that period, a series of meetings have been held with a view to ensuring that the Plateau State House of Assembly Complex is secured adequately.
He said, “I would now want to state it categorically clear that the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Bartholomew N. Onyeka, is not a politician and all other police officers are non-partisan. Hence, I appeal to the good people of Plateau State, the traditional rulers, elders of the state, religious leaders, parents and guardians, women’s groups, the youths and all residents of Plateau State to avoid being used by any person or group of persons to achieve their selfish ambition,” he said.
