How 5 Plateau speakers lost their seats in 14 years

Impeachment of speakers by the Plateau State House of Assembly especially for avid readers is no longer news. It is a trend that appears to have become a norm since the rebirth of Nigeria’s democracy in 1999.  The state has witnessed a series of legislative crises leading to the sealing of the assembly at various […]

Impeachment of speakers by the Plateau State House of Assembly especially for avid readers is no longer news. It is a trend that appears to have become a norm since the rebirth of Nigeria’s democracy in 1999. 

The state has witnessed a series of legislative crises leading to the sealing of the assembly at various times. During many of the crises, security operatives had to be deployed to prevent the breakdown of law at the assembly complex or escalation of the crisis to Jos metropolis and its environs.

Many excuses are often given in disguise by either the executive arm or members of the state legislature who at any given time could fall apart with the speaker for their individual interests or surreptitious objectives. 

Allegations of embezzlement and incompetence are some of the reasons often given against whoever is removed from the speakership.

Our correspondent reports that all former and the incumbent governor of the state had either one or two speakers impeached during their tenures.

For instance, during the second tenure of former governor Joshua Dariye, now senator, two speakers were impeached. However, between 2007 and 2015, under the administration of former governor David Jang, one speaker was impeached and one other resigned following alleged pressure from the governor for him to resign or be impeached. 

The story, however, has not changed with the incumbent governor, Simon Bako Lalong, who took over in 2015. Between 2015 and 2021, under his stewardship, two speakers have been impeached. 

How the previous speakers were impeached 

In 2000, a year after he became the first speaker in the fourth republic, Hon. George Daika, who represented Mikang constituency between 1999 and 2003, was impeached by members of the assembly. Daika’s removal was said to have been prompted by disagreement between former governor Dariye and former minister of sports, Damishi Sango.

Pundits say Daika’s impeachment was ignited by Dariye, following Daika’s selection by Sango from the state to be part of those that would travel to Brazil for the 2000 FIFA world club championship, a development that Dariye felt the former minister had a good rapport with Daika and could be a threat to him, so the speaker should be removed. 

Although that wasn’t the official grounds given by his colleagues in the House at that time, analysts still believe that his impeachment was directly connected to his cordial relationship with the former minister.

After Daika was impeached, the incumbent governor, Lalong who was also a speaker of the state legislature, was elected to complete the remaining years of his predecessor. Analysts say Lalong’s two and a half years’ stay as speaker strengthen the relationship between him and Dariye, a development that many considered the reason why he enjoyed Dariye’s support for reelection to the speakership position in the 2003 general election.

However, after the 2023 election and he became the speaker, Lalong was under severe pressure by the federal government to impeach Dariye, following the attack on Yelwa community of Shendam LGA of the state, where hundreds of people were killed in 2004.

Lalong refused to bow to the pressure and thereafter six members of the then assembly organized a midnight session and impeached him, a development that paved the way to initiate Dariye’s impeachment.

Nevertheless, Emmanuel Go’ar, representing Pankshin North constituency, who became speaker in the fourth assembly, also faced similar legislative crisis as his predecessors. 

 Hon. Go’ar headed the house under David Jang’s administration in 2007 and was impeached in 2011. His impeachment was believed to be connected to the disagreement between former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and Jang over the ethno-religious crises in the state and preparation to set up a committee to investigate the crisis and correct some defects in the state electoral laws, if any. 

An impeccable source told our correspondent that Go’ar was impeached after 17 of the 24 members of the assembly signed a petition alleging that he was incompetent. But the main reason for his removal, according to another source from the house, was connected to his total loyalty to Jang and never fought for the entitlements of his colleagues in the state legislature.

Nevertheless, John Clark Dabwan who hails from Mangu LGA and became the speaker in the fifth assembly was impeached in 2013 after a series of alleged attempts by Jang to ensure his removal.

Daily Trust gathered that following intense pressure and threats by the executive, Dabwan honourably resigned during a plenary, saying that “Plateau State has witnessed so many crises and we cannot continue to inflame it. That is the basis on which I am resigning. I painfully took this decision in the interest of peace and I wish all of us well.”

In 2015, Hon. Peter Azi, representing Jos North West, was elected the speaker of the house and was impeached in 2018 by 2/3 majority of his colleagues. 

Analysts said Hon. Azi did not face trouble with Governor Lalong but had huge grudges with members of the assembly during his tenure. 

A source from the assembly told our correspondent that Azi’s total loyalty to Governor Lalong and refusal to fight for their constituency allowances and other entitlements caused his impeachment, adding that he hardly confronted the governor over their issues.

Hon Abok Ayuba Yakubu, representing Jos East, was elected speaker in 2019 and was impeached last week Thursday. He was replaced with Hon. Sanda Yakubu, representing Pengana Constituency, after series of crises that rocked the house in recent times.

Although the executive denied having a hand in the impeachment, many say his removal wouldn’t be unconnected to the crisis between him and Governor Lalong. 

The ouster of Abok has, however, further polarised the assembly leading to the holding of parallel sessions in the state.