The leadership crisis rocking the Plateau State House of Assembly deepened on Wednesday as the State Police Command sealed up the complex to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
Recall that there was a court judgment on Monday reinstating the impeached Speaker, Hon. Ayuba Nuhu Abok, who was ousted in October 2021 and immediately replaced with Hon. Yakubu Sanda. The reinstatement of the former has been generating controversies and tension in the state.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE learned that a detachment of police arrived at the state assembly at about 5:00 a.m. and cordoned off the area after getting wind of the plan by some groups to stage protests, which the police suspected might snowball into violence.
The staff of the Assembly who arrived for the day’s work could not access the complex and had to turn back, while the local security men at the premises were also sent away by the detachment of police drafted to the House.
It was further learned that the contending Speakers, Hon. Yakubu Sanda and Ayuba Nuhu Abok, were later invited by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Batholomew Onyeka, for a briefing on the happenings in the House.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the reinstated Speaker, Ayuba Nuhu Abok, said he, his lawyer, and other members of the House were invited by the State Commissioner of Police to discuss the recent judgement of the Plateau State High Court, which reinstated him as the Speaker of the House.
He assured the people of the state that the House, under his leadership, will continue sitting tomorrow (Thursday) and advised the police to stay away from the Assembly complex to enable the lawmakers to sit in a conducive atmosphere.
Said “I can assure you that we are going to continue with our sitting tomorrow, but we don’t know the interest of the police in this matter. I want to believe that the commissioner of police was not properly briefed until my lawyer explains things to him.
“The police should stay clear of the house; we respect the police; he is a man of honour and integrity.” “And I also want to assure him that we shall peacefully conduct ourselves,” he said.
Efforts to get in touch with Hon. Yakubu Sanda proved abortive as he could not be reached through his phone.
