5th April, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Gabriel Dewan, the Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly has reportedly has sworn in nine out of 16 All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers who obtained their mandates through the election petition tribunals’ judgments in the state.
According to a report in the The Nation, Dawan swore in the APC lawmakers in the early hours of Friday in Jos, the state capital.
A member from Jos East was also appointed Deputy Speaker of the Assembly at the event.
Dewan had previously claimed that his refusal to inaugurate the 16 lawmakers was based on the judgement of the Supreme court.
The apex court had faulted the judgement of the Court of Appeal that sacked the 16 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers based on crises within their party, the PDP at the time they were nominated while giving victory to their APC opponents.
The Supreme Court, noted this while delivering its ruling on the Plateau 2023 governorship election
But the Court of Appeal has however dismissed application by the 16 PDP lawmakers for a review of the judgement based on the comment by the Supreme Court justices.
As a result of the Speaker’s refusal to inaugurate the 16 APC members, only eight lawmakers have been sitting at the Plateau Assembly
While information about the swearing of the lawmakers were still sketchy, it could be recalled that APC has accused Governor Caleb Muftwang of being behind the refusal of Dewan to inaugurate the 16 members.
The APC National Working Committee (NWC) at its recent meeting had threatened to drag the Governor and the Speaker to court for refusal to obey the Court of Appeal judgment that the 16 members were duly elected by their constituents.
Speaking after recently after weekly meeting of the NWC, APC’s National Vice Chairman (South West) Isaac Kekemeke, said the party will ensure enforcement of the decision of the Court of Appeal.
He said: “The Court of Appeal has affirmed its decision to sanction the illegality of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, PDP and the Governor for attempting to review that decision.
“It is sad that the Governor of Plateau, who is enjoying his office by the constitution of this country in an election, will want to deny 16 members of the fruit of their electoral work and to deny our party the success that they won for the people.
“This is a disgrace to democracy and its unacceptable behaviour.
“The National Working Committee expresses its outrage and displeasure over this continued illegality and this unacceptable arbitrage by the Governor of Plateau State, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and by the PDP in Plateau state.”
“The last court is the Court of Appeal that has spoken and spoken again and yet, PDP, the governor of Plateau and the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly shamelessly continue to disobey the law of the land.
“The patience of the APC is running out. But because the APC is a peaceful party, it is calling on the law enforcement agencies to do the needful now and not tomorrow.”