Following the drama and controversy over the purported impeachment of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ayuba Abok, by 8 members out of 24 members earlier on Thursday morning, the embattled Speaker Abok however presided over 14 members during a sitting of the Assembly held outside the assembly complex.
Twelve other members present at the sitting passed a vote of confidence on the Speaker while two members sent in their apology.
Also, during the sitting 6 members including the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Saleh Shehu Yepmong and the Majority Leader Hon. Naanlong Daniel who participated in what the lawmakers described as “illegal exercise” were suspended.
CAPITAL POST recalls that 8 members of the 24 legislators, allegedly impeached Hon. Ayuba in the early hours of Thursday, and replaced him with Hon. Yakubu Sanda (APC, Pengana Constituency).
At the sitting, Deputy Majority Leader, Philip Dasun, (APC, Pankshin South) moved the motion for the suspension of the six of the eight members that carried out what he described as an illegal impeachment.
Dasun said the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 92, subsection 2C has stipulated a clear procedure on how to impeach a speaker or a deputy speaker.
The Deputy Majority Leader who is also the House Committee Chairman on Information and Communication said, “none of the procedures was followed by the members who allegedly impeached the speaker.
“Members did not form a quorum to sit and they did not have a two-thirds majority required by law to impeach a speaker.
“They went against Section 92(2c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Order 7 rule 14 of Standing Orders of the Plateau State House of Assembly”, he explained.
“I, therefore, move that the six members that carried out the illegality be suspended till further notice.
“They include; Hon. Baba Hassan (APC, Jos North-North), Hon. Saleh Yipmong (APC, Dengi), Hon. Daniel Naanlong (APC, Mikang), Hon. Eric Dakogol (APC, Quanpan North), Hon. Mohammed Ballo (APC, Quanpan South) and Yakubu Sanda (APC, Pengana)”.
Dasun’s motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Peter Gyendeng, (PDP, Barkin Ladi).
Dasun also moved a motion of vote confidence to be passed on Abok Ayuba as the authentic Speaker of the 9th State House Assembly.
The lawmaker challenged those who claimed to have collected 16 signatures required by law to impeach the speaker to make it public.
The motion was again seconded by Gyendeng affirming lawmakers support for the embattled speaker Rt. Hon. Ayuba Abok.
Hon. Abok while speaking with Journalists after the sitting said they have been standing for the people of Plateau and for the truth.
“We will continue to stand for justice, we will stand for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we will stand for democracy,” he stressed.
