Gabriel Dewan, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, recently administered the oath of office to nine out of the 16 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers.
As reported by The Nation, the swearing-in ceremony occurred in the early hours of Friday in Jos, the state capital.
Additionally, one of the members representing Jos East was appointed as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, according to the report.
About 60 members of the House of Representatives are seeking amendments to the 1999 Constitution to transition from the current Presidential System to the Parliamentary System of Government.
Led by a lawmaker representing Lagos State, Wale Raji, the lawmakers identified the need to reduce the cost of government and robust policy debates, among others, as some of the reasons for demanding a return to the parliamentary system.
It was titled: ‘The Bills Proposing Constitutional Alterations for a Transition to a Parliamentary System of Government’ and sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others. It was read for the first time on the floor of the House during yesterday’s plenary session in Abuja.
Addressing a press conference at the National Assembly Complex, the spokesperson for the sponsors and member representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Constituency of Sokoto State, Abdulssamad Dasuki.
The Plateau State House of Assembly resumes plenary today. The 16 lawmakers elected on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) had said they would resume their legislative duties despite their sack by the Court of Appeal.
In November, the Court of Appeal in Abuja sacked the 16 PDP lawmakers because the party had no structure to nominate them as candidates.
Addressing a press conference in Jos, the lawmakers, led by a former Majority Leader, Yobo Ishaku, argued that since the Supreme Court, which upheld the election of the state governor, Caleb Mutfwang, on the same issue, had ruled that the PDP had a valid structure to nominate them as candidates, the verdict of the Appeal Court sacking them as lawmakers had become a nullity.
Ishaku, who represented Bokkos State Constituency, explained their decision to resume plenary.
They called on President Bola Tinubu and the heads of the Nigerian judiciary to sanction the President of the Court of Appeal, under whose watch the alleged illegality was committed.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, under the jurisdiction of Justice James, has declared the N800 billion budget passed by the Edison Ehie-led group of the Rivers State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Siminalayi Fubara as null and void.
The court also sided with the suit filed by the Assembly and Speaker Martin Amaewhule against Governor Fubara, seeking an injunction to prevent him from obstructing the Assembly's functions.
Amid the prolonged political crisis in the oil-rich state and the demolition of the Assembly Complex on December 13, 2023, Governor Fubara presented the 2024 budget proposal of N800 billion to a group of five Assembly members led by Edison Ehie at the Government House in Port Harcourt. This occurred after the state government demolished the Assembly Complex, and a court order prevented Ehie's contender, Martins Amaewhule, from using the Assembly Complex.
Despite the controversial circumstances, Ehie and other lawmakers supportive of Governor Fubara passed the budget, and it was signed into law by the governor. The budget was purportedly aimed at fostering economic development, inclusive growth, and addressing socio-economic inequality in the state.
Subsequently, Ehie resigned from the House, and Amaewhule was reinstated as the Assembly's Speaker after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. Amaewhule and 25 other lawmakers loyal to ex-Governor Nyesom Wike demanded that Governor Fubara present the 2024 budget estimates to the Assembly again, leading to a legal battle.
On Monday, Ken Njemanze, representing Amaewhule, accused the governor of interfering with the functions of state lawmakers, violating the separation of powers doctrine. The plaintiffs sought injunctions restraining the National Assembly from entertaining any request from Governor Fubara to take over the Assembly's functions and compelling the Inspector General of Police to provide security for the Assembly's Speaker.
Justice James Omotosho, presiding over the case, noted that Edison Ehie, the 17th defendant, claimed to have resigned from the Assembly, rendering him incapable of being a party. Justice Omotosho ruled that the suit was properly constituted despite the preliminary objection challenging the court's jurisdiction.
Disagreeing with the plaintiffs on the governor's powers, Justice Omotosho emphasised the shared powers of the executive, state Assembly, and local government areas in making laws. Regarding the National Assembly taking over the State Assembly's functions, the judge stated that such a move could only happen if the state lawmakers could not conduct their business, which was not the case.
Justice Omotosho declared the removal of the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi, null and void, emphasising that the Rivers State House of Assembly Law governs the appointment and remuneration of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk. The judge affirmed the Assembly's entitlement to funds and declared that the governor could not impede the release of funds standing to the credit of the Rivers Assembly in the state's Consolidated Revenue Fund, including salaries and emoluments.
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