The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abok Ayuba, and some members loyal to him were arrested on Monday within the vicinity of the Assembly in Jos.
Led by the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, and some top officials of the different security outfits in the state, the lawmakers were carried away in about five Toyota Hilux vans around 3.15 pm after their arrest.
The Speaker and his supporters had earlier laid a siege on the state Assembly before the security men came to whisk them away through the back gate of the Assembly complex.
Also, the youths, who staged a peaceful protest in support of the embattled Speaker were dispersed by the police bwith tear gas.
Shouting as he was being led away by the security men, the Ayuba said: “I can not say if I am under arrest at this moment.”
An unconfirmed report said the lawmakers were being taken to Abuja.
The Does2Leak Online reports that last Thursday, 8 members of the 24-member Assembly purportedly impeached Ayuba and replaced him with Yakubu Sanda.
Ayuba same day, Thursday, presided over a sitting of the Assembly held outside the complex, where thirteen other members present at the sitting passed a vote of confidence on him.
Ayuba and his loyalists in the Assembly suspended the six members who participated in the suspension of the Speaker and described as “illegal exercise” their action.
At the sitting, Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Philip Dasun, (APC, Pankshin South) moved the motion for the suspension of the six of the eight members that carried out what he described as an illegal impeachment.
Dasun said that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 92, subsection 2C, stipulated a clear procedure on how to impeach a speaker or a deputy speaker.
According to the Deputy Majority Leader, who is also the House Committee Chairman on Information and Communication, “none of the procedures was followed by the members who allegedly impeached the speaker.
He said: “Members did not form quorum to sit and they do not have a two-third majority required by law to impeach a speaker.
“They went against Section 92(2c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Order 7 rule 14 of Standing Orders of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
“I therefore move that the six member that carried out the illegality be suspended till further notice.
“They include: Hon. Baba Hassan (APC, Jos North North), Hon. Saleh Yipmong (APC, Dengi), Hon. Daniel Naanlong (APC, Mikang), Hon. Eric Dakogol (APC, Quanpan North), Hon. Mohammed Ballo (APC, Quanpan South) and Yakubu Sanda (APC, Pengana).”
