The House of Representatives has backed a call for the National Assembly to intervene and ensure that the remaining members-elect of the Plateau state House of Assembly are sworn in.
Presenting a motion on the matter, Tuesday, former deputy speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, prayed the apex parliament to intervene for the purpose of equity, fairness and justice.
He said: “In 2023, the Court of Appeal hearing appeals arising from judgments of the Plateau State Election Tribunal, made decisions which resulted in the nullification of Certificates of Return of 16 sitting members of the Plateau state House of Assembly, and ordered the issuance of new Certificates of Return to the new members by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
He said pursuant to the provisions Section 72 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission issued Certificates of Return to the new members in compliance with the order of the Appeal Court and the law.
He noted that the members-elect of the Plateau state House of Assembly have met all the requirements of the law, as contained in section 94 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and section 72 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
He expressed worries however “that the remaining members-elect of the Plateau state House of Assembly are compelled to summit letters of resignation with accompanying court affidavit by the speaker as a condition for swearing-in, which amounts to a mockery of democracy at a period Nigeria is celebrating 25 years of unbroken democracy.”