The Plateau State Government has revealed that some persons planned to forcefully break into the State House of Assembly chamber to swear in the 16 All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers, as affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
As against this background, the state government vowed to ensure diligent constitutional processes must be followed over the logjam.
LEADERSHIP reports that in the early hours of Tuesday, men of the Plateau State Police Command averted a clash between the supporters of the 16 APC lawmakers who wanted to force their way into the Assembly complex and some of the PDP supporters loyal to the sacked PDP members.
They were dispersed by the police, who later condoned off the assembly to prevent both parties from gaining access to the premises.
The special adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Strategic Communication, Hon. Timothy Golu, while reacting to the development, said the unfortunate incident was a shock to the government, considering the fact that the State House of Assembly had shifted its sitting to the old government house because the premises were under renovation.
Golu said the speaker of the House, Hon. Gabriel Dewan, was handicapped in swearing in the 16 lawmakers because of two court injunctions restraining him, adding that as a law-abiding citizen, he has no choice but to restrain himself until the determination of the suit.
“We just woke up this morning to see the presence of security men around the State House of Assembly. You know the House of Assembly is not sitting in its original location. It has been moved by resolution to the Government House because it was under renovation. The official dealings of the House are being done in the Government House.
“But everybody knows that there has been an issue in the House of Assembly. The Speaker would have reconvened the House, but he was handicapped because he was served with two injunctions restraining him from swearing in the 16 members that were given judgment by the Court of Appeal, and as a law-abiding government, we will not toy with that until that injunction is vacated.
“So to see security men there without the consent of the Chief Security Officer of the State and the Speaker, it is threatening because the House with eight members has nothing to do with the traditional vicinity of the House because they are no longer sitting there,” he said.
“But we heard from the grapevine that there are plans by some people to penetrate the House and swear in the 16 lawmakers illegally. We are law-abiding people; therefore, we must respect the rule of law. We heard it from the grapevine that meetings are being held in someone’s house. Thank God that security has refused to be used, so the police have been there to protect and prevent anyone from getting into the premises to wreak havoc,” he said.
Golu, a former member of the House of Representatives, said the Muftwang-led administration will not condone lawlessness, adding that the government believes in the rule of law and will never use illegal means or circumvent the process of law.
He said, ” This government will not condone lawlessness; everything that needs to be done will have to go through due process, and whatever the outcome, everybody will have to take it. Nobody should be distracted by what is happening; the situation is under control. So we are waiting; whatever the court says, whatever the conclusion, we are going to continue from there.”.
