How ex-Plateau Speaker, Abok, was impeached
Story from Yakubu VENTIM, Jos
The Plateau House of Assembly members on Thursday morning impeached Rt. Honourable Abok Ayuba Nuhu as the Speaker of the 9th assembly in the early hours of Thursday.
Eyewitness account revealed that the few members arrived at the Assembly Complex as early as 6 am, led by the APC executives to commence the impeachment process on Honourable Abok.
READ ALSO: Plateau Assembly Speaker impeached, replaced by Hon. Yakubu Sanda
However, Neptune Prime gathered that security personnel besieged the complex, allegedly on orders of top government functionaries.
It was alleged that some cabinet members of Governor Simon Lalong were so desperate that they allegedly moved the process of intense politicking and horse-trading that finally culminated in the impeachment of the former Speaker for speaking to the governor over the incessant attacks and killing of Plateau citizens and standing with the people of Plateau State.
It has also been alleged that the former Speaker’s crisis started when he ordered the Governor to implement some requirements to safeguard the lives and properties of Plateau citizens, which allegedly didn’t go down well with some of the top cabinet members as they began to mobilise for his quick impeachment, which finally happened today.
Also, it was gathered at the assembly today that some APC members that are loyal to the impeached Speaker were not allowed access to the Assembly.
It was gathered that the “unusual sitting” on Thursday morning was presided by the Deputy Speaker, Saleh Yipmong.
Information gathered also revealed that the lawmakers attempted to impeach the former speaker on Wednesday night, but could not succeed and returned on Thursday morning.
Mr Nanbol Daniel (PDP-Langtang North Central) had said that the impeachment would not hold because it did not follow the rules of the House on the impeachment of the speaker.
The lawmaker representing Rukuba/Irigwe constituency in the State House of Assembly, Musa Agah, has described the action of the lawmakers as “the height of illegality”.
Agah said, “It was this morning (Thursday) that some members rushed into the House of Assembly as early as 6 am. You know the State House of Assembly is made up of 24 members and the constitutional requirement for the removal of the Speaker is 2/3 majority which is 16 members.
“So, eight lawmakers rushed into the Assembly this morning against the House rules that say that plenary commences from 9 am and even if there is going to be an extraordinary sitting, the Speaker is the one who is empowered to convene but that did not happen.
“When some of us got wind of what was happening, we rushed to the Assembly Complex only to discover that security operatives had barricaded everywhere. Some of us were stopped from gaining access to the Assembly Complex while they also harassed others.
“While the confusion was going on, the eight members said they have passed a vote of no confidence on the Speaker and went ahead to remove him.”
Honourable Nuhu was replaced immediately by Honourable Sanda Yakubu of Pingana Constituency, Bassa Local Government Area of the state.
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Sixteen out of the 24 members of the assembly voted in favour of the impeachment at the plenary on Thursday.
Below is the list of the honourable members of the House that carried out the impeachment:
- Rt. Hon. Baba Ibrahim Hassan – APC – Jos North
- Rt. Hon. Saleh Shehu Yipmwang – APC – Dengi
- Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil – APC – Mikang
- Hon. Livinus James Kwapfuan – APC – Shendam
- Hon. Eric Dakogol – APC – Quanpan North
- Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Ballo – APC – Quanpan South
- Hon. Yakubu Sanda – APC – Pengan
- Hon. Abdul Yanga – APC – Mangu North West
- Hon. Yahaya Mavo – APC – Wase.
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