By James Moses (9News Nigeria -Jos)
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Plateau chapter, Friday dismissed as an abnormality the decision of the State House of Assembly, Speaker Gabriel Kudangbena Dewan to swear-into the legislative only nine of the 16 members of the party returned by the Court of Appeal as winners of the 2023 State Assembly election.
Chairman of the APC in the State, Hon. Rufus Bature, declared at Press Conference in Jos that the action of the Speaker was bound to crash unless the remaining ones were equally sworn-in as mandated by the law.
Bature accused Governor Caleb Mutfwang of instigating the swearing-in of nine APC legislators.
He alleged that Mutfwang compelled the nine APC legislators to “succumb to the nocturnal swearing-in ceremony that only represented a fragment abuse of democratic tents and principles”
Sworn-in earlier on Friday were Yusuf Dickson Chollom (Barkin-Ladi constituency), Abdul Adamu (Mangu North), Daniel Nanbol Lipstick (Langtang North Central), Denti Laven Jacob (Pankshin South), Abel Nansak( Langtang South), Wallangko Sylvester Ibrahim (Bokkos), Kwarpo Mathew Sylvanus (Mangu South) and Eli Bako Ankala (Rukuba).
Bature insisted that the remaining 11 APC lawmakers must be sworn-in immediately.
He said: “In the face of this undemocratic and unconstitutional development, I make two strong demands: That all the 16 APC lawmakers must be sworn-in. Secondly, all the 17 elected Local Government Chairmen must be returned to their seats to function as democratically elected LGA Chairmen. This is because the Supreme Court has already declared their dissolution as null and void.
“I therefore appeal to all people of conscience to compel the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and Governor Caleb Mutfwang to toe the democratic path by ensuring that all the democratic structures function without hindrance”.
However, the Speaker said his action was inline with what he called due process.
His words: “There is no saga in the House, and for those who believe there is saga, all what we are waiting for is due process to be followed.
“I was called that nine members had met the criteria and I have done my part by inaugurating them”
The Appeal Court had ruled on November 19, 2023 that the failure of PDP to comply with the order of the Plateau State High Court in Jos directing it to conduct valid ward, local governments and state Congress before nominating its candidates for the various elective posts was a breach of the law.
The earlier sack of two PDP Senators, three House of Representatives members and 11 members of the State Assembly by the Court of Appeal was based on the same premise.
However, the Supreme Court, while ruling on Mutfwang appeal on January 12, 2024 declared that the election tribunal had no jurisdiction to determine the validity nof the primary election conducted by the PDP and nomination of governor as its candidate because they were issues internal to the party, which APC and its candidate Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe could not question.
The Court said, “We have held consistently in a plethora of decisions overtime that the validity of the primary election and nomination of a candidate by his party is not a valid ground for an election case.
“Once a person name is submitted by his party to INEC as its candidate, he is thereby sponsored by the party and therefore satisfies the requirements of sponsoring a party under Section 177(c) of the Constitution as he is not an independent candidates”.
-9News Nigeria.
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