From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The crisis in the Plateau State House of Assembly on Friday took another dimension as the Speaker, Gabriel Dewan, inaugurated only nine out of the 16 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose elections were validated by the Court of Appeal
The speaker thereafter presented the nine members, together with eight others, to Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
But the Chairman of APC, Mr. Rufus Bature, said the nine members who were inaugurated did so under duress while the seven members did not agree to the terms presented to them as conditions for their inauguration. The election of the APC members were validated by the Court of Appeal, which sacked their Peoples Democratic Party PDP counterparts on the grounds that the PDP had no party structure at the time it sponsored the candidates for the 2023 general election.
But following the validation of the election of Mutfwang by the Supreme Court, after the Court of Appeal had also nullified his election, the PDP members went to court to challenge their sack.
They insisted that it was the same structure that sponsored both the legislative and executive positions.
But the court threw away their case since the adjudication of the legislative seats terminates at the appellate court.
Governor Mutfwang, who hosted the members at the Old Government House in Rayfield on Friday, emphasised the importance of fostering a harmonious working relationship and enhancing collaboration among the three branches of government in the best interest of the state.