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Tag: Plateau Assembly

  • Plateau assembly speaker finally swears in APC lawmakers after nearly one year

    Plateau assembly speaker finally swears in APC lawmakers after nearly one year

    After one year, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Gabriel Dewan, on swore in the five remaining members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

    Recall that the Appeal Court declared the APC candidates winners of the 2023 election in their various constituencies.

    The Appeal Court had in November 2023 sacked all lawmakers elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and declared their APC counterparts winners in all the constituencies.

    The PDP lawmakers were sacked on the grounds that the party had no structure to nominate them as candidates in the elections.

    The Speaker, however, refused to swear in the APC candidates.

    In April 2024, some of the lawmakers were sworn in by the Speaker.

    The remaining five – Owen Dagogot (Quan Pan North), Theodore Maiyaki (Quan Pan South), Yakubu Sanda (Pengana), Dachung Dadon (Riyom), and Dalyop Gyang (Shendam South) – were not sworn in until Wednesday, 11th September, 2024.

     

  • Why Plateau Assembly reenacted PLASIEC Law – Spokesperson

    Why Plateau Assembly reenacted PLASIEC Law – Spokesperson

    Plateau House of  Assembly Committee Chairman on Information, Mr Matthew Kwarpo, says the assembly repealed the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) Law 2018 and reenacted PLASIEC Law 2024 to conform with the 2022 Electoral Act.

    The lawmakers repealed and reenacted the law during its Tuesday plenary presided over by the Speaker, Gabriel Dewan.

    Kwarpo (APC/Mangu South Constituency), who spoke with newsmen on Wednesday in Jos, said that they repealed the law based on the fact that there were emerging political challenges in Nigeria.

    The information committee chairman stated that the Tuesday plenary was a success to the entire people of Plateau, considering the fact that the state was going into local government elections.

    He said that considering the country’s new electoral act, there were certain things that were not captured in PLASIEC Law 2018.

    “One of them is the issue of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). In Plateau, we have never used BVAS in terms of accreditation during elections, but the new law gives room for BVAS to be used.

    “The use of BVAS is to ensure that there are credible and transparent elections, and the vote cast should count.

    “There was another issue about who is to declare the result of the election from the polling unit to the ward and the local government.

    “Section 54 of the 2018 PLASIEC Law was ambiguous. It stated that any officer of the law can declare the result, but the new law clearly defined who is to declare the result at the polling unit, ward, and local government levels.

    “In total, 35 clauses were amended and passed into law,” he said.

  • Plateau Assembly will remain sealed – CP

    Plateau Assembly will remain sealed – CP

    The  Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Mr. Batholemew Onyeka,  said that the state House of Assembly would remain sealed till security threats within and around the assembly complex were tackled.

    Onyeka stated this on Tuesday in Jos while addressing newsmen on why it was sealed by security personnel since April 5.

    The commissioner said that the command has intelligence report on impending attack on the complex that may lead to breakdown of law and order.

    He said that the command, through social media, got the information that Abok Ayuba, the former speaker impeached on Oct. 28, 2021, got judgment in his favour to be reinstated.

    “The members had an unrestricted and unfettered access to the assembly complex which is a clear testimony that the assembly was unsealed before that judgment was passed.

    “But we got information that some mischievous persons who, based on intelligence mobilised to ensure that they gain unrestricted access by all  means to the assembly complex.

    “I took the decision to seal the assembly complex to ensure that the State House of Assembly is safe and that neither life nor property is lost,”he said.

    Onyeka said that based on the intelligence at his disposal, he invited members of the assembly with their lawyers to his office.

    He said he advised the lawmakers to avoid anything that would lead to breakdown of law and order hence, the deployment of policemen to the complex.

    “It will be a negligence and dereliction of duty on my part as the commissioner of police if having gotten the intelligence and fails to do that for which I’m here to do.

    “The deployment of police personnel to the assembly wasn’t targeted at any group or persons but to maintain peace, protect lives and property.

    The commissioner appealed to the people of Plateau to avoid being used by any person or group of persons, to achieve their self-serving and selfish ambitions.

    He urged all law abiding citizens to go about their lawful businesses and the warring parties, to seek peaceful ways of settling their differences in accordance with the rule of law.

    Ayuba who was impeached was reinstated by the Plateau High Court on April 3.

    He resumed duty on Tuesday, April 4, and presided over the assembly plenary.

    Ayuba’s successor, Yakubu Sanda, and 12 others filed an appeal and stay of execution on April 4.

    Both Sanda and Ayuba are laying claims to the speakership of the assembly.

    Ayuba while relying on his reinstatement, Sanda is holding unto the stay of execution.

  • Plateau Assembly confirms Lalong’s PLASIEC nominees

    Plateau Assembly confirms Lalong’s PLASIEC nominees

    The Plateau State House of Assembly has confirmed the nominees for Chairman and members of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) earlier submitted to it by Gov. Simon Lalong.

    A statement by the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Sabastine Homuk, said that the confirmation was done at an executive session of the assembly on Nov. 15.

    The resolution indicated that, given the bad state of the PLHA chamber and with no alternative facility yet provided for purposes of the house’s sittings, the executive session became imperative.

    The statement said that the confirmation followed a communication from Gov. Lalong dated 12th November, 2021 requesting for their confirmation by the house.

    The governor had in the communication said that the tenure of PLASIEC chairman and members would expire on Nov. 15, 2021.

    Lalong said that the reappointment of the commission’s members was in line with Section 4 (5) of the law establishing the body.

    According to him, the request become necessary as the commission had just concluded local governments elections and that the experience of the members was needed to handle the legal issues that followed.

    Those confirmed include; Mr Fabian Ntung- Chairman, Lamindi Kaiwani, Joshua Ndom Partrick Mamgin, Hafsat Amin, Peter Danbenji and James Dashan as members.

    The statement added that the confirmation had since been forwarded to the governor for further necessary action.

  • Plateau assembly crises: Impeached Speaker whisked away in police van

    Plateau assembly crises: Impeached Speaker whisked away in police van

    In continuation of the crisis rocking the Plateau State House of Assembly,the Speaker of the Legislature, Abok Ayuba, has now been whisked away from the assembly complex in a police Hilux van.

    The operation to take Ayuba out of the complex was led by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Edward Egbuka, on Monday afternoon.

    Recalled that Ayuba was on Oct. 27 impeached by 8 members of the assembly and elected Yakubu Sanda as the new Speaker.

    But Ayuba and members of the house loyal to him held a session outside the assembly complex same day during which they suspended six of the members that impeached him, and declared him(Ayuba) as the authentic speaker of the house.

    Gov. Simon Lalong had recognised Sanda as the new speaker of the assembly.

    However, Ayuba and the lawmakers loyal to him gained access to his office on Monday and were holding an executive session preparatory for a sitting when some youths staged a protest in front of the assembly complex in support of Ayuba.

    Egbuka told journalists that they were going to another venue to continue with discussions they started in the speaker’s office.

    He said that they would address the press when the discussions were concluded.

    Ayuba briefly told journalists that he did not know whether he was arrested or not.

    The embattled speaker said that he would address journalists at the end of everything.

    The speaker was taken out of the assembly complex, the youths who were protesting in front of the complex in his support were dispersed by security personnel.

    Tear gas canisters were thrown at the protesters with water cannons stationed to ensure that the protesters left the premises, as part of the operation.

  • Plateau Assembly gives Lalong 2-week ultimatum to end killings

    Plateau Assembly gives Lalong 2-week ultimatum to end killings

    The Plateau State House of Assembly has given Gov. Simon Lalong two weeks to address the security challenges bedviling the state.
    Mr Philip Dasun, Chairman, House Committee on Information conveyed the position of the legislators when he briefed newsmen in Jos.
    Dasun said that the assembly would know the next line of action after the two-week ultimatum.
    “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.
    “We strongly call on Plateau people to practically stand up and defend themselves and their communities, as the conventional security design is no longer guaranteeing our safety as a people,” he said.
    The committee chairman also called on traditional rulers to look inward and release the local security design to protect Plateau people as well as reinforce the vigilance, hunters and local wise men to defend the people.
    He said that as a sign of commitment to the urgent need for the people to protect themselves, the Plateau State House of Assembly had directed all local government Chairmen to suspend their planned recruitment of Adhoc teachers, and instead, recruit 200 vigilante personnel in each local government area to boost and augment local intelligence gathering.
    The legislator called on security operatives to fish out the perpetrators of the mayhem and be punished according to the Law.
    “On behalf of the assembly, I wish to sympathize with the government and Plateau people on the barbaric and dastardly killings that have been taking place in different communities in the state.
    “I sympathize with communities in Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Jos North, Jos South, Mangu, Riyom, University of Jos community and recently that of Yelwa Zangam.
    “The House condemns all these killings in totality, all these killings are unacceptable and condemnable.
    “We commiserate with the families of all those who lost their loved ones during these attacks,” he said.
    Mr Nanbol Daniel, Chairman, House Committee on Health in his contribution urged the people to protect themselves but should not go against the law.
    Daniel said that the assembly had resolved that Plateau Government should compensate victims of the attacks.
    The health committee chairman said that legislators would continue to update the people on their efforts to restore peace in the state.
  • Fresh killings: Community takes victims’ corpses to Plateau Government House, Assembly

    Fresh killings: Community takes victims’ corpses to Plateau Government House, Assembly

    The Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, Abok Ayuba,has called for calm and restraint over Tuesday’s attack on Yelwa Zangam community in the state by gunmen.
    Abok made the call when members of the Yelwa Zangam community took corpses of their loved ones killed in the attack, to the Assembly.
    Yelwa Zangam, a community in Jos North Local Government Area of the state was attacked by hoodlums on Tuesday night during which 35 people were reportedly killed.
    Members of the community cried to the assembly and urged it to liaise with other arms of government to tackle the menace.
    Abok, who condoled with the families of the victims, appealed to them not take laws into their hands, saying that such act would only aggravate the already bad situation.
    “We are all affected by what is happening in Plateau, but please, calm down as government is doing everything possible to end the killings.
    “We are your representatives, we are going to follow up with relevant authorities to ensure that peace returns to the state,” he said.
    The mourners later took the corpses to Government House, Jos.
    Meanwhile, news of the attack threw Jos into confusion as people scampered for safety.
    The situation also resulted to serious traffic gridlock in the city as many people fled to their houses for cover.
  • BREAKING: Plateau Assembly impeaches Speaker, Majority Leader

    BREAKING: Plateau Assembly impeaches Speaker, Majority Leader

    The Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Peter Azi, was on Wednesday impeached by 17 out of the 24-member parliament dominated by the All Progressives Congress.

    He was replaced by Joshua Izang Madaki, a legal practitioner representing Jos East constituency.

    Also removed was the Majority Leader, Henry Yunkwap, representing Shendam constituency, who was also replaced by Hon. Nanlong, of Mikang constituency.

    They were said to have been sacked over “irreconcilable differences” in the recent removal of Local Government Caretaker Committee chairmen.

     

    Details later…