by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State House of Assembly Members, especially elected PDP members, who were sacked, and the APC members who were elected by the Court of Appeal have been urged to maintain status quo until the interpretation of the court process.
The 16 members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the 16 members of the Court of Appeal of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who make-up 32, are claiming 16 vacant seats in the Plateau State House of Assembly.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan, during the reconvened House on Tuesday (after about two months’ recess) at the old Government House Jos, the temporary sitting venue of the Assembly – due to ongoing renovation at the Plateau State House of Assembly Complex – appealed to them to remain calm.
Only 80 recognized Members of the House of Assembly resumed earlier, but couldn’t hold sitting before the arrival of the 16 PDP members, who were sacked by the Appeal Court last year.
Shortly after addressing journalists, the Speaker also addressed the 16 PDP members, who were also around, on the need for them to be patient and wait for the interpretation of the court process instituted.
While addressing them, the Speaker said, “I am in receipt of the court process that restrains me from doing anything contrary to the processes that have been initiated in the court and, as you know, as Honourables, we are a body responsible for lawmaking not law interpretation.
“So, for now, I’m pleading that everybody should maintain status quo until the interpretation of the court process, then the next line of action would be taken; but for now, I’m constrained to say anything or do anything contrary to the court process that I have been served.”
While reacting to the Speaker’s appeal, spokesperson for the 16 sacked PDP members, Hon. Ishaku Maren, said they are convinced with the Speaker’s position as law-abiding citizens.
“We are lawmakers; we are not supposed to be law breakers. As you can see, we are coordinated in our approach. So, by that, we agree with the position of the leadership of the House,” he stated.
Our correspondent recalls that on Monday, the 16 sacked PDP lawmakers had addressed a press conference where they declared their readiness to resume plenary on Tuesday after the recess.
Reacting to the sacked PDP Members’ Press Conference by the spokesperson of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) party in the State, Mr. Sylvanus Namang, he described their planned resumption as “an assault to democracy and contempt of court.”
He added that the Appeal Court judgment, which sacked the 16 PDP State House of Assembly members and all its National Assembly members, has a stamp of finality, which cannot be upturned by any court in the land, in line with Section 246 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Middle-Belt News Networks noted that, personnel of the Nigeria Police were on ground at the gate and within the old Government House premises to maintain law and order, as some supporters of the 16 sacked PDP members thronged the gate in solidarity of their members.