Nasarawa Assembly Crisis: Protesters Block Lafia-Makurdi Highway

The lingering crisis over the speakership of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly took a new twist yesterday as pro-Daniel Ogazi youths blocked the ever-busy Lafia-Makurdi highway in protest.

The protesters condoned off one of the lanes of the popular highway in Shabu near Lafia, the state capital at about 12:45 pm, causing heavy gridlock in the process.

They bore placards with inscriptions such as “Gov Sule should allow democracy to prevail”, “Stop interfering in legislators’ business Gov Sule”, “Hon Ogazi is our choice”, and “Nasarawa is not a banana republic Gov Sule” among others.

The leader of the protesters, Malam Shuaib Bala Usman said that they decided to block the highway to register their displeasure over the utterances and actions of Governor Abdullahi Sule, which they described as “unbecoming” of a “chief executive of the state who is supposed to be a father to all.”

He said: “In democracy the majority carry the vote and there is separation of power.  The governor belongs to the executive arm of government and he   doesn’t have any right to interfere in the affairs of the legislative arm. 

“We have 24 lawmakers in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly out of which 13 lawmakers voted in favour of Daniel Ogah Ogazi member representing Kokona East, and 10 lawmakers voted for immediate past speaker Hon. Ibrahim Balarebe Abdullahi. Unfortunately, the governor of the state displayed an undemocratic attitude by recognizing 10 members out of the 13 lawmakers.”

Our correspondent reports that as the gridlock builds up, the situation around Shabu became chaotic with stranded passengers begging the protesters to remove the blockade to enable them proceed on their journey.

Elders and leaders of the community were seen persuading the youths to discontinue their action and seek an alternative way of resolving the anomaly.

In a similar situation, aggrieved women, youths, and other protesters barricade the entrance into the assembly  

over governor Abdullahi Sule’s interference on who becomes the new speaker of the 7th assembly.

The protesters who defiled the heavy presence of the policemen at the entrance of the assembly complex, proceeded with chanting of songs and prayers asking God to intervene on the injustice being perpetrated in the state. 

The spokesperson of the group Mr. James Alu leader of the Coalition for Justice comprising over 20 groups made up of people from various tribes in the state.

Mr. Alu said the group is an advocate of justice, peace and fairness for anybody irrespective of tribe, religion or association.

Alu said the group was in state to ensure justice takes its right place for peace to reign.