The leadership crisis rocking the Plateau State House of Assembly has continued with fresh security issues as both factions have continued to point accusing fingers.
This has been the trend since Thursday, October 28, 2021, when eight members of All Progressives Congress (APC) invaded the Assembly at dawn and announced the impeachment of the Speaker, Nuhu Ayuba Abok, replacing him with Hon Yakubu Sanda.
The drama has caused fear within the city capital, Jos, especially among those living close to the Assembly with the complex shut down by security agents after a confrontation on November 1st 2021. The Commissioner of Police, Barholomew Onyeka, went to the chambers and attempted to broker peace. But he was largely unsuccessful. The Inspector General of Police redeployed the CP and dispatched Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Mustapha Dandaura to handle the situation.
The AIG convened a meeting between the two factions. But the meeting ended in deadlock as each faction laid claim to the post of the Speaker. The embattled officers introduced themselves as the authentic speakers of the House.
Dandaura insisted that until the legislators resolved their differences, which they seemed unwilling to do and come together as one, the House of Assembly would remain closed.
The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) cautioned security agencies against taking side with any of the parties in the tussle. Its chairman, Gad Peters, urged security agencies to stand on the side of justice, fairness, peace and ensure that the legislators uphold the rule of law and legislative procedures to avert breakdown of law and order:
“We wish to urge the various security agencies in the state that they should maintain an impartial posture in handling of the on-going attempt at leadership change in the State House of Assembly.
“This call became imperative because there is a general perception that the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police Force has not been a strategic arbiter in handling the impasse thus far.
“We are worried that the security agencies in the state saddled with the responsibility of providing security, restoring peace and maintaining law and order seems to have become a party in the impasse.
“We want to use this platform to call on the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the State Security Service to call their personnel to order, to ensure they do not compromise the security architecture of the state which is still fragile and they stand on the side of justice, fairness and peace.”