The sixteen sacked People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in Plateau State have vowed to resume Plenary today in Jos, saying the Supreme Court as superior Apex Court has invalidated the Court of Appeal Judgement against them.
The sacked Plateau legislators said they are taking leverage from the Supreme Court judgment, which overturned the judgment of the lower court and reinstated Governor Caleb Mutfwang as the duly elected governor of the state.
While addressing Journalists in Jos on Monday, the PDP members warned their All Progressives Congress (APC) Members not to go near the House of Assembly on Tuesday because the Supreme Court by its pronouncement had invalidated the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which sacked them.
The spokesman of the 16 members and Former Member Representing Bokkos Constituency Hon. Ishaku Maren, said the Supreme Court had revalidated their election, which was wrongly taken away from them by the lower court.
Maren, who was flanked by the other 15 members, said that as law-abiding citizens, they are ready to resume work to represent the people who duly elected them.
He said, “As you can see the 16 PDP members of the Plateau State House of Assembly are all here to address the press regarding our resumption of duty tomorrow because our recess will be ending on Monday, and by Tuesday we are resuming to walk in earnest and we are confident to address the press by informing the general public that my members that is PDP family members in the State Assembly are in high spirits and are willing and ready to go back and continue with our constitutional duty willingly given to us by the electorates. So we are all ready for the resumption of work tomorrow.
They added “You might be aware that while were on recess, there were two Judgments that were passed regarding the status of the state House of Assembly and Plateau State as a whole. ”
“The first one was that given by the Court of Appeal, where they said that one cannot put something on nothing; that PDP in Plateau state has no structure and it was on that premise that they sacked all the 16 PDP members and lo and behold as we were on recess a superior court gave its own verdict regarding the same issue and in the judgment of the Supreme Court they said that the judgment that was brought before the Court of Appeal in its entirety was fraudulent and because of that the Court of Appeal lacked even the jurisdiction to entertain the entire matter.
By that, it shows that we are also referring to the same judgment that one cannot build something on nothing”
They advised the governor not to interfere with their resumption because they were going to resist all pressure.
“The Court of Appeal members are deceiving themselves that they are coming to the house tomorrow to resume work but I’m confident to tell you that we are a product of democracy
We are validly elected by the majority of votes that were cast in our various respective constituencies and our constituents are willing and ready to accompany us as citizens tomorrow to the House of Assembly because they voted for us and they are not ready to compromise that and that is why they are seeing us to the state assembly tomorrow.
New Telegraph reports that since the Appeal Court judgment, the APC lawmakers elected as pronounced by the Appeal Court have not taken the oath of office.
Meanwhile, the All Progressive Congress APC Plateau State has described the plan action of the PDP Sacked Lawmakers as a clear invitation to Anarchy.
APC State Publicity Secretary Hon Sylvanus Namang in a Press statement signed and issued on Monday in Jos said APC wishes to state in no uncertain terms that the plans and threats by the sacked members contemplating any resumption of sitting as members are not only an assault on our democracy but an insurrection against the state, being an unabashed contempt of Court.
It has come to the notice of the Plateau State Chapter of the APC, a plan by the 16 members of the PDP sacked by the Court of Appeal last year to invade the House which resumes sitting tomorrow after nearly two months recess as sitting members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The Statement added that the APC accepted for the sake of democracy and peaceful coexistence, the judgment of the Supreme Court in good faith and appealed to our members not to embark on anything to the contrary which they obeyed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court judgment which awarded victory to the Governor is personal to him and has no multiplier or spill-over effect on anyone already sacked. This is moreover there was no case pertaining to the National and State Assembly Elections before the Supreme Court. The orbiter dictum as made by Justice Okoro concerning the fate of the sacked lawmakers cannot be said to have any force of law
“The Appeal Court judgment which sacked the 16 PDP State House of Assembly members and all its National Assembly members has a stamp of finality which cannot be upturned by any Court in the land in line with Section 246 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“Just as we have accepted, as true democrats, the decision of the Supreme Court, the PDP has no option than to accept the fate that has befallen them and wait for the next election circle.
The APC however calls on all arms of security agencies in the state to up the ante to handle any illegal acts as the Plateau State House of Assembly resumes sitting tomorrow 23rd January, 2023.
“The rule of law should be allowed to take its course and anything to the contrary should be visited with the most appropriate sanctions.
“Plateau State which is standing on a very delicate security tripod following so many upheavals which have consumed thousands of unsuspecting lives cannot afford this very avoidable threat and legislative onslaught.
“It is not an act of cowardice on our part to stoop low, but we see the interest of our dear state as paramount.