Posted by By MARIAM ALESHINLOYE AGBOOLA, Jos on
Palpable tension enveloped Jos, the capital of Plateau State, on Sunday as eight lawmakers perfect plan to remove the state's governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, from office.
•As tension mounts in Plateau
Palpable tension enveloped Jos, the capital of Plateau State, on Sunday as eight lawmakers perfect plan to remove the state's governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, from office.
This is coming 48 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared vacant 14 seats in the Plateau State House of Assembly.
Daily Sun gathered that the anti-Dariye lawmakers, led by Hon. Michael Dapianlong, are doing everything possible to effect the removal of the governor from office before October 28, a date set aside for the conduct of by-elections to fill the vacant seats in the House.
As the lawmakers perfect the plan, tension mounts in the capital city. Policemen are still guarding strategic places in the city. On Sunday, an armoured vehicle was stationed in front of the State's House of Assembly, while policemen are guarding the home of Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu on Mangu road, Jos.
Meanwhile, top government officials have decried INEC's position on 14 seats in the House. One of the aides to the governor said it was glaring that INEC's action was part of the ploy to impeach Dariye, adding: 'It is glaring that decision was taken without recourse to the laid down procedures."
He said that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State has been enmeshed in crisis, which led to the polarization of the party along Abu Shindai and Chief Jethro Akun line. He urged lovers of democracy to caution PDP over its anti-democratic actions.
It would be recalled that INEC recently declared 14 seats in Plateau House of Assembly vacant. Those whose seats have been declared vacant by INEC are the Speaker, Hon. Simon Lalong; his deputy, Musa Zumunta; Geoffrey Teme, Wanga Lemoro, and Hosea Azi.
Others are Benshak Daliop, Gambo Nbilamut, Joshua Tatmang, David Longlam, Sa'ad Bello, Abubakar Mohammed, Meshach Chindaba, Samuel Damla and Victor Lapang. All the affected lawmakers are staunch supporters of Dariye.
Before this, Plateau State PDP had taken the 14 legislators to the Federal High Court in Abuja, urging the court to declare their seats vacant on the grounds that they defected from PDP to Action Democratic Congress (ACD).
The party, however, withdrew the suit last week.