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Plateau State High Court Justice Nafisat Lawal Musa reinstated Abok Ayuba as Speaker of the state House of Assembly on Monday, more than 18 months after he was removed.
Ayuba, who represents the Jos East constituency, was impeached on October 28, 2021, in controversial circumstances by some members of the state assembly and replaced by another lawmaker, Yakubu Sanda, who represents the Pengana state constituency.
Dissatisfied with the process that led to Abok’s impeachment, two members of the House, Gwottson Fom of Jos South State Constituency and Tyem Pirfa Jinfa of Langtang North North Constituency, sought redress in court.
They sought among other things, a declaration that the sitting of the Plateau State House of Assembly on Thursday, October 28, 2021, between the hours of 6 am and 7 am is un-parliamentary and in violation of the provision of Order 6 Rule of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rules 2021 and therefore unlawful, null and void.
The claimants also asked the court to declare that the procedure adopted for the removal of the “Defendant (Nuhu Abok Ayuba) violated the provisions of section 92 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered and Order 7 Rule 4 of the Plateau State House of Assembly Rules 2021 and therefore unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.
Another relief sought by the claimants is the removal of the Defendant (Nuhu Abok Ayuba) as Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly by the votes of less than two-thirds majority or 16 members of the Assembly violated the provisions of section 92 (2) (c).
Counsel to the Claimants, Mr Chuwang Isiah Paul, said the judge has considered all prayers of his clients and the facts that the defendants did not defend any of the reliefs sought or file anything to show that they intend to defend the suit granted all the 10 reliefs sought by the claimants.
In delivering her Judgement, Justice Musa, reinstated Abok Ayuba as the speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly while granting an injunction restraining the current speaker, Yakubu Sanda, from parading himself as the Speaker of the Assembly.
The court also granted that the sum of N20 million be paid as exemplary damages to the claimants and went further to make a consequential order to the effect that all the emoluments, salaries, bonuses and allowances of the re-instated Speaker be paid him from October 28, 2021, till the day of the expiration of his term as the speaker of the Assembly
The Judge also awarded the sum of N1.5 million to be paid as the cost of appearance in favour of counsel to the claimant while another sum of N138, 350:00 is to be paid as the cost for filing the suit.
Shortly after the judgement was delivered, the reinstated speaker made an appearance at the Plateau State House of Assembly complex.
Abok told Journalists, “We are here in the premises of the House of Assembly because all of us were elected to represent our various constituencies.
“We still have some months left for us to continue the assignment that was duly given to us by our various constituencies.
“Even though there was a crisis some time ago, but today the court has given these terms against that illegality that was done,” he said.
The reinstated speaker said that by the grace of God, sitting would continue in the house peacefully, without any rancour.
Ayuba said that they would not fight anybody, adding that they were all members of the assembly and that all were Plateau people and also Nigerians.
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