As the Plateau State House of Assembly reconvenes for plenary, the 16 lawmakers elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have declared their intention to resume legislative duties despite being dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The All Progressives Congress (APC) insists that the lawmakers remain sacked, describing their plan to resume as an “invitation to anarchy and a threat to democracy.”
In a press conference in Jos on Monday, the 16 lawmakers, led by former Majority Leader Yobo Ishaku, argued that the Supreme Court’s ruling, which upheld Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election on the same grounds, validated the PDP’s ability to nominate them. They asserted that the Court of Appeal’s decision to sack them as lawmakers had become null and void.
Ishaku stated, “Our recess ends today (Monday), and we want to inform the public that we, the PDP family, are in high spirits and are willing to go back to our legislative duties willingly given to us by our various constituencies. So, we are all ready to resume work tomorrow (Tuesday).”
The PDP lawmakers urged President Bola Tinubu and the heads of the Nigerian judiciary to sanction the President of the Court of Appeal, under whose watch they were dismissed.
However, the APC in the state swiftly responded, describing the intended resumption of the sacked PDP lawmakers as an invitation to anarchy and a threat to democracy. The APC lawmakers characterized the plan and threats to resume as not only an assault on democracy but also an insurrection against the state.
The APC reiterated that the PDP lawmakers remained sacked under the law and warned against any actions that could disrupt the peace and stability of the state.
In November, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed all 16 members of the state House of Assembly elected under the PDP, citing the party’s lack of a structure to nominate them as candidates. The PDP lawmakers dispute the decision, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.
