Sixteen elected All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Plateau State, who are yet to be sworn in by the state House of Assembly speaker, have called for immediate intervention from President Bola Tinubu.
They express frustration over what they describe as deliberate and unlawful denial of their rights by the leadership of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The aggrieved lawmakers made their appeal on Tuesday, March 26, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, following a closed-door meeting with the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Hon. Maiyaki Theodore Bala, the leader of the group, emphasized the urgency of President Tinubu’s intervention to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
He stated, “We call on the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR, His Excellency the Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, the president of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
The Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, to order/direct the insidious and recalcitrant Speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly to promptly convene the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The lawmakers highlighted the pressing need for their inauguration, stressing the impact of their absence on effective representation for their constituents.
They also called upon international bodies and organizations, including the United Nations, United States of America, European Union, and United Kingdom, to bring pressure on relevant institutions to address the situation.
Furthermore, the lawmakers appealed to various stakeholders, including traditional rulers, clergy, community leaders, civil society organizations, and human rights activists, to join forces in urging the Plateau State House of Assembly to convene and inaugurate them without further delay.
In their plea, they called upon the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly and the Conference of Former Speakers of State Houses of Assembly to intervene and restore democracy in Plateau State, labeling the current situation as “odious, reprehensible, condemnable, and requires urgent intervention.
The lawmakers emphasized the importance of immediate action to prevent the state from descending into chaos and underscored the expectations of the people of Plateau State for a swift resolution to the impasse.