Following the abrupt ending of the inaugural plenary of the Plateau State House of Assembly, the state Governor, Barrister Simon Lalong, has appealed to members to sheath their swords and allow a smooth transition in the state.
There had been dispute over the winding down of the 7th Assembly and inauguration of the 8th Assembly.
Lalong’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Samuel Emmanuel Nanle, said Lalong had issued a proclamation on June 5 for the dissolution of the 7th Assembly and the inauguration of the 8th Assembly on Tuesday.
Nanle said in a statement on Tuesday: “In giving effect to the proclamation the Clerk convened the House for the purpose of the election of the Speaker and other Principal Officers. It is to be noted that the election of the Speaker went into a Saunter (recess) after the first session of voting by the 24 (twenty four) members presented a tie between Hon. Peter Azi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Rt Hon. Istifanus Mwansat of the Peoples Democratic (PDP).
“The recess no doubt provided an opportunity for consultation, dialogue and lobbying which are common democratic practices. These however were interrupted by massive mobilization of constituents along party lines into the premises and precincts of the Plateau State House of Assembly beyond the anticipated crowd control measures put in place.
“It is to be understood that Plateau is experiencing a political transition that has elicited interest by most citizens of Plateau within and without the state, and the peace and harmony of the state after the election must therefore be sustained by all means.
“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Plateau State acting under the compulsion of duty and on security advice as to the likelihood of a breakdown of law and order occasioned by the anxiety in the House Election which played out in unhealthy public exhibitions of supporters, directed an adjournment of the session sine die. It must be stated that this is not new to legislative practices and procedures; the Clerk of the House is therefore under instruction to reconvene the House as soon as possible for the purpose of the election as appropriate security measures are put in place.
“The Governor is also appealing to all Honourable Members of the House to commit themselves to a process that would guarantee a hitch free election of the Principal Officers of the House; the first measure of which is the exercise of restrain in the number of their supporters, traditional dancers, constituency contingents which they mobilize to the premises of the House of Assembly.
“The Executive Governor is optimistic that the next session would produce the Speaker and other Officers of the House of Assembly and he calls on Plateau Citizens to be calm as they look forward to same.”