Plateau Assembly Leadership Tussle: CP Advises Lawmakers to Stay Away from Assembly Complex for now
By Daniel Agada, Jos
The Commissioner of Police Plateau State command, CP Bartholomew Onyeka has advised state Lawmakers to desist from making any attempt trying to gain entry into the State House of Assembly complex for now until all the contentious issues are addressed.
Onyeka gave the advice on Tuesday while speaking to newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Jos, on happenings in the Plateau Assembly.
Recall that Plateau Assembly was engulfed in a leadership tussle as two factions (Abok Nuhu Ayuba and Yakubu Sanda) lay claim to the speakership of the state’s 9th Assembly.
Our correspondent observed that the state Assembly complex remained under lock and key for almost a week as a result of the unending leadership crisis.
CP Onyeka acknowledged the deployment of a team of police personnel at the state Assembly Complex to avert break down of law and order.
The CP also noted that only few legislators attended a meeting initially billed for 11th April, 2023 at the commands’ headquarters.
In his words, “On the 3rd of April 2023, the Plateau State Police Command, through Social Media got the information that RT. Hon. Abok Ayuba, the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly who was impeached on Thursday October 28, 2021, has secured a judgment in his favour to be reinstated as the Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, a development which the Command was not duly served or officially informed as at the time.
” This suggests that on 3rd of April, 2023 the honourable members had an unrestricted and unfettered access to the Plateau State House of Assembly Complex which ordinarily is a clear testimony that the House of Assembly was unsealed before that judgment was passed.
“Therefore on the 4th April 2023, having gotten information that some mischievous persons who, based on intelligence mobilized sufficiently to ensure that they gain unrestricted access by whatever means necessary to the House of Assembly Complex, I took that decision to ensure that the State House of Assembly is safe and that neither life nor property is lost.
“My powers as the Commissioner of Police as enshrined in section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 4 of the Police Acts 2020 is relevant.
“I urge all law abiding citizens of Plateau State to go about their lawful businesses and the warring parties to seek peaceful ways of settling their differences in accordance with the rule of law….
He gave the assurance to unseal the House of Assembly when the threat diminished.
