Drama looms as sacked Plateau PDP lawmakers vow to resume today

As the Plateau State House of Assembly gears up for its resumption of plenary today (Tuesday), a brewing controversy surrounds the decision of 16 lawmakers elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) umbrella to defy a recent Court of Appeal ruling that had ousted them from office.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has opposed their planned return, describing it an “invitation to anarchy and a threat to democracy.”

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had handed down a verdict in November, stripping the 16 lawmakers of their positions.

The ruling asserted that the PDP lacked the necessary structure to nominate them as candidates.

However, in a press conference held in Jos on Monday, the PDP lawmakers, led by former Majority Leader Yobo Ishaku, declared their intention to resume legislative duties, citing a recent Supreme Court decision that upheld the validity of the PDP’s structure.

Ishaku noted that, based on the Supreme Court ruling, the Court of Appeal’s decision was rendered null and void.

He asserted, “Our constituents are ready and willing to accompany us to our sitting tomorrow because they voted for us, and they are not ready to compromise that.”

The PDP lawmakers also called for the sanctioning of the President of the Court of Appeal under whose jurisdiction they were ousted, urging President Bola Tinubu and the heads of the Nigerian judiciary to intervene.

In a swift response, the Plateau APC condemned the planned resumption, characterizing it as an assault on democracy and a potential insurrection against the state.