News
Plateau Assembly Crisis: APC calls on Police to unseal the Assembly Complex for legislative functions
The Leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has appealed for the immediate unsealing of Plateau State House of Assembly by the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Bartholomew Onyeka for effective legislative function.
The State Publicity Secretary of APC, Hon.Sylvanus Namang during a press conference at the APC Secretariat in Jos on Thursday insisted that Rt.Hon.Yakubu Sanda remained the authentic and legitimate speaker of the Plateau 9th Assembly.
It would be recalled that on the 3rd April 2023, Justice Nafisa Lawal of Plateau High Court 6 Jos Division reinstated the impeached Speaker Rt. Hon. Abok Nuhu Ayuba is the legitimate speaker of the state Assembly.
However, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State command having acquired sufficient intelligence gathering which placed a threat to the peaceful coexistence of the state as the speakership tussle escalated decided to seal the Assembly complex.
He also warned the warring factions of Yakubu Sanda and Abok Nuhu Ayuba not to make any attempt of coming to the House for now until all issues are adequately addressed.
The APC state publicity acknowledged that the judgment was delivered on 3rd April 2023. The three days would have elapsed by midnight of Thursday, the 6th. of April. Therefore, the earliest date for the enforcement of the Judgment, even by the Sherriff of Court would have been Friday the 7th of pApril2023 or thereafter!
“Before then, the Notice of Appeal and Motion for Stay of Execution and Injunction to restrain Abok from execution was filed and served on him on Tuesday, the 4th of April 2023!
“On the said 4th April 2023, Abok, despite having long ceased to be a Member of the House of Assembly with the support of Members of the PDP, invaded the House of Assembly under the guise of a Court-restored “Speaker” despite being a non- Member of the House, since the court did not and could not have restored him as Member, having never challenged the earlier declaration of his Seat as Vacant upon decamping from the APC to the PDP!
“For Hon. Nuhu Abok, the non-Member but Court-declared “Speaker” who has been duly served with the Notice of Appeal and Motion for Stay of Execution of the Judgment/Injunction to resort to self-help by storming the House in Commando Style and pretending to be back to Office as Speaker outside the known procedure for enforcement of Judgments under Nigerian Law, is simply an invitation to chaos and anarchy which has no place in any society governed by the Rule of Law.
“The APC as a Law abiding Party, hereby calls on the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, who by the way had also filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution of the Judgment duly served on all Parties in the Suit, to put a stop to the excesses of Hon. Nuhu Abok Ayuba and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which is enabling and encouraging him in his exhibition of lawlessness.
“The Plateau State Command is duty bound to provide security and protection to the legitimate Members of the State House of Assembly to enable them to continue to discharge their statutory duty of Law-making, devoid of any interference by hoodlums and imposters such as Nuhu Abok.
“The APC is keenly watching to see how this Theatre of the absurd playing out and orchestrated by Nuhu Abok Ayuba and the PDP pans out”,
Another explosion has rocked the Soku oil
facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Sunday’s fire is the second in a week after an explosion hit the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, thus raising concerns of sabotage.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a prominent grassroots NGO active across the Niger Delta, confirmed the incident on Sunday, March 23.
In a statement signed by Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, its executive director, YEAC disclosed that its youth volunteers reported an early morning explosion accompanied by fireballs at the facility, which is operated by Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited.
“An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to reach. The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” Fyneface stated.
The cause of fire at the gas station in Toru LGA was not yet clear at the time of the press, but speculations about equipment failure to sabotage or even deliberate attack was rife.
It marks the third explosion at oil facilities in Rivers State within a week, intensifying concerns over the state’s oil infrastructure.
The first explosion occurred in Ogoni, while the second took place in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. The latter incident was referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast on March 18, during which he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.
In response to the escalating security challenges, President Tinubu took decisive action by suspending the Rivers State House of Assembly, Deputy Governor, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The move followed allegations that the governor failed to protect the state’s critical oil infrastructure.
Tensions have further heightened following a viral video in which some youths issued warnings against the governor’s impeachment.
The recent string of explosions has raised alarm among stakeholders in the Niger Delta, a region already grappling with environmental degradation and security issues tied to oil production. With fires still raging at the Soku facility, calls for an urgent investigation and enhanced security measures around oil infrastructure have grown louder.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, over the passing of his mother, Hajiya Safarau Umar Baribari.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Dr. Ganduje described Hajiya Safarau’s death as a profound loss that has left a deep void in the hearts of her family, friends, and the people of Katsina State.
Extending his sympathies, the APC National Chairman condoled with Governor Radda, the bereaved family, and the entire people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
He acknowledged the remarkable contributions of the late Hajiya Safarau and prayed for Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant her eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus while strengthening the family to bear this irreplaceable loss.
Dr. Ganduje urged Governor Radda and others affected to find comfort in the cherished memories and enduring legacy of the deceased.
Reaffirming the APC’s support, the former Kano State governor assured the people of Katsina State of the party’s solidarity in their time of grief and prayed that Allah (SWT) grant the departed soul Al-Jannah Firdaus. Ameen.
The wife of Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), Hajia Aishat has offered cash and food items worth millions of naira to widows and vulnerable women across Dekina local government Councils, promises to take similar gesture across the nine local government in Kogi East.
The exercise which was tagged: “Widows Empowerment”, saw the Senator’s wife distributing cash and food items to cushion the effect of Ramadan.
Items distributed are bags of rice bags of salt, cartons of seasoning, maggi etc, which were evenly distributed to widows and vulnerable women across party lines.
A beneficiary who spoke with our correspondent at Odu in Dekina Local Government Council, Hon Fitumi thanked Hajia for her continuous effort in coming through for widows and vulnerable regularly.
She acknowledged similar gesture by Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), a fortnight ago at Ankpa when youths in their numbers from three Local Government Areas were trained in Agriculture and empowered, stressing that people are now living testimony to the effort of the lawmaker.
“”We are aware of several intervention projects, empowerment and developmental projects of Senator Echocho and we are not surprised seeing Hajia toeing the similar path.
“The distribution of food items and cash today is not only a rekindling of hope to the beneficiaries, but an encouragement that despite their condition, they were not forgotten.
Hajia Labran, and other APC Women leaders who spoke on behalf of women, applauded Hajia Aisha Echocho and pray Allah to strengthen her to carry on, urged others to emulate her sustainable initiatives.
The women advised other political office holders to emulate what is good and just, which they believed would strengthen the party.
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