Police tighten security as PDP, APC supporters besiege Plateau Assembly
Police in Plateau State, on Tuesday, cordoned off the road leading to the state House of Assembly within the Jos metropolis.
This came as supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and their rivals from the All Progressives Congress kept vigil in front of the Assembly complex on Tuesday.
The Spokesman for the police command, Alabo Alfred, told The PUNCH that men and officers of the command were working to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the state.
The state Assembly is in a state of uncertainty over the fate of 16 PDP lawmakers sacked by the Court of Appeal.
In sacking the 16 PDP lawmakers, the appellate court declared APC candidates as the winner of the March 18, 2023, House of Assembly poll.
The Court of Appeal had also sacked Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, on the same basis as it sacked the 16 PDP lawmakers.
The Supreme Court, however, reversed the governor’s sacking by the Court of Appeal.
In the light of the Supreme Court judgment in the governor’s case, the 16 PDP lawmakers are asking to be returned to their position.
Asked on Tuesday whether the Assembly road barricade was connected to the Assembly crisis, the police spokesman told our correspondent, “Just wait, I will soon release a press statement concerning what is happening.”
At the gate of the Assembly complex located along John Samci Road, our correspondent observed supporters of both the sacked 16 PDP lawmakers and the APC lawmakers, who are yet to be sworn in, keeping watch.
One of the PDP supporters, Mathew Danladi, who spoke with our correspondent, said, “We have been here since last night because we learnt that the APC members who are yet to be sworn in as state lawamakers following the controversial Court of Appeal judgment want to forcefully enter the state Assembly and impeach the Speaker.
“After that, they will go ahead to impeach the governor but we will not allow that. They want to take the law into their own hands; if not, why should they not wait for the final outcome of the issues because the 16 PDP lawmakers who were unjustly removed by the Court of Appeal are presently in court over the matter?
“I think the APC in Plateau State does not want peace because they are aware of the Supreme Court judgment over the matter. And the Speaker of the state Assembly has also made it clear that he is in receipt of court processes regarding the matter and will wait for the final decision of the court since there are 32 persons laying claim to 16 vacant seats in the Assembly.”
However, a supporter of the APC, Barnabas Dalyop, insisted that the action of the Speaker not to swear in the APC members after the Court of Appeal declared them winners was unacceptable.
Dalyop said, “The Court of Appeal is the highest court in election petitions involving state and National Assembly.The court has ruled in favour of the APC members as the legitimate persons to represent their various constituencies. So, why is the Speaker refusing to obey the ruling of the court?”
However, neither the 16 sacked PDP lawmakers nor the APC members showed up at the Assembly complex on Tuesday.
Multiple sources said both camps had summoned a separate meeting of their members to discuss the next line of action.
At the time of writing this report, the meetings were still ongoing as confirmed by one of the sacked PDP lawmakers, Timothy Dantong, when contacted.
“We are still in our meeting. We will brief you when we are done please,” he added.
