The reinstated Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly, Abok Ayuba, on Tuesday, presided over the plenary session of the assembly after his resumption of duty on Monday while the embattled Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Sanda, secured a stay of execution order against the judgment that reinstated Ayuba as the authentic Speaker of the Assembly.
Recall that Justice Nafisatu Musa of the State High Court sitting in Jos, Monday reinstated Ayuba as Speaker, declaring the process of his impeachment was illegal.
Ayuba represents Jos East constituency was impeached in October, 2021 in a controversial circumstance by six out of 24 members Assembly and his seat declared vacant.
In Ayuba’s place, Mr Sanda representing Pengana constituency was elected Speaker.
However, Ayuba headed to the court to challenge his controversial removal.
Monday, Ayuba resumed office and held a plenary although Sanda, the Majority Leader/Chairman House Committee on Information, Na’anlong Daniel and some others were absent.
Ayuba, who entered office at about 9:10 am in company of some lawmakers, said that legislative duties of the state House of Assembly would resume immediately.
However, security agents were stationed at strategic places within and around the Assembly premises.
He said “We have taken over; we are not going to fight. There will be no rancour, there will be no infighting among members. We were elected to work for the betterment of Plateau and we will continue to work for a better Plateau. All we need is for the Plateau to progress.
“We are matured people, we are honourable members and we will conduct our legislative duties honourably. My brother, the member representing Pengana, Yakubu Sanda is free to join us in today’s sitting if he so wishes. I will soon go into the chambers to continue with our legislative business.”
Some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, were among those who attended plenary.
But principal officers who are all from the APC were said to be having a meeting with their political Party at the time of the plenary.
However, the Majority Leader/Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Na’anlong Daniel, and Mr. Sanda’s Press Secretary, Sebastian Hommuk, informed that the House had obtained a stay of execution order and appealed the said judgment which reinstated Ayuba.
According to the Majority Leader, “We have obtained a stay of execution order and appealed the judgment. I did not go to the House because we (the Principal Officers) were having a meeting as APC members but we were told that he (Ayuba) called for a sitting.
“So, within that space of time since there is a court order, we needed to respect the order until we were able to get a stay of execution and an appeal which we have been able to obtain.
“The Police have been served, the House has been served through the Clerk but when he noticed that the bailiff came, he had to pass through the other door and left.
“But all his lawyers have been also served. We asked some people to attend the plenary so they would not take any decision that would affect the House so some of our members were there.”
