Former Speaker, Abok drags House of Assembly to court over impeachment

The embattled Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nuhu Abok Ayuba has dragged the new Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda and 16 Members of the House to Court, seeking the Plateau State High Court to declare that, his removal was a violation of Section 92(2)(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Abok, also seeks the Court to declare that, the sitting of the House on Thursday, 28th October, 2021, between the hours of 6.00am and 7.00am was un-parliamentary and in violation of the provisions of Order 6 rule 1 of the Plateau State House of Assembly Standing Orders 2021 as amended and therefore unlawful, null and void.

Abok in a suit filed through Originating Summons by his Counsels, Damkat Amos Dalung (Esq), and Pam Gyang Davou (Esq), is further seeking the Plateau State High Court, to declare that, “The removal of the claimant as speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly by the votes of less than two third majority of the 24 Members which is, 16 Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, was in violation of Section 92(2)(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended,  Order 7 rule 14 of the Plateau State House of Assembly Standing Orders 2021 as amended and to also declare that, the purported selection of the 1st Defendant as the purported Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly on the 28th of October, 2021, in gross and flagrant violation of Section 92(2)(c) of the Constitution”.

The embattled Speaker as a further relief, if his questions put before the Court for determination are answered positively in his favour, wants the Court to grant an Order of Perpetual Injunction, restraining the 1st Defendant from parading himself as the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

As at Thursday, when the matter came up, the Claimant’s application to amend the Originating Summons owing to the death of one of the Members and who is also a Defendant in the matter was strongly opposed by the Counsel to the Defendants, claiming non-compliance to Court rules.

The Court has adjourned the matter to the 10 of March, 2023, for adoption of the arguments.