Plateau Assembly crisis in fresh twist as police takes away speaker, 10 lawmakers

The crisis in the Plateau State House of Assembly took a fresh twist on Monday when the purportedly impeached Speaker of the House, Abok Ayuba, and 10 lawmakers were whisked away by police from the Assembly complex.

Eight members of the 24-member legislature had on October 24 claimed to have impeached Ayuba and replaced him with the lawmaker representing Pengana Constituency, Yakubu Sanda.

Six out of the eight lawmakers were later suspended by the Assembly for carrying out an illegal impeachment proceeding.

Governor Simon Lalong had since recognised Sanda as the new speaker of the Assembly.

Trouble started on Monday when Ayuba and the lawmakers loyal to him gained access to his office and held an executive session preparatory for the plenary when some youths staged a protest in front of the Assembly complex in support of the speaker.

READ ALSO: Crisis in Plateau Assembly as lawmakers, youths clamour for reinstatement of impeached Speaker

A detachment of police operatives led by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Edward Ebuka, later arrived at the Assembly complex and took the lawmakers away in four Hilux vehicles at about 4:00 p.m.

Before the speaker was taken out of the Assembly complex, the protesting youths were dispersed by the security personnel.

Egbuka told journalists that the lawmakers were going to another venue to continue the meeting they started in the speaker’s office.

He said they would address the media when the discussions were concluded.

However, Ayuba said he did not know whether he was arrested or not.

He promised to address journalists shortly on the matter.

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