Plateau State Speaker, Gabriel Dewan, has explained that he swore in only nine out of the 16 All Progressives Congress members in the state Assembly.
Dewan stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
According to him, the remaining seven assembly members were yet to complete the necessary procedures needed before they could be sworn in.
The Court of Appeal had ordered the reinstatement of the 16 APC members after sacking 16 members of the Peoples Democratic Party who were occupying their seats.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the house last week, swore in 9 members and left out 7 others. A development which has infuriated the APC.
Giving reasons while he took such step during his interview with Channels TV on Friday, Dewan said the 7 members are yet to complete the necessary procedures needed before they could be sworn in.
The Speaker said: “Sometime in November, there was a pronouncement in the court that 16 of my members have been removed by the Court of Appeal. A pronouncement in the court is different from the procedures in the House.
“I wasn’t in the court, I heard it on air that 16 members have been removed. There is no communication to me from the INEC or the CTC of the judgement for me to be sure that truly those members have been removed or anything.
“And I was waiting for that proper thing to be done, what did I get? Sometime in January, a lawyer, one S.O Obende or so, wrote a letter to my office attached with 16 certificates of return of members and I replied back that Obende is not a member of my Assembly. If the court has declared members elect the members know the normal procedure to follow.
“The right thing to be done was for INEC to write to me as the Speaker directing me that based on this judgement, attaching the communication with the CTC of the judgement, that based on this judgement, we have been directed to withdraw the certificate of return from this honourable to these honourables.
Therefore, we are directing you as the electoral umpire to recognise this person as your member, that was never done.”
He added that, “Sometimes two weeks ago, I was told by those responsible for documentation in the House of Assembly that 9 members have submitted their certificates of return and have met all the requirements and I said okay.
“So, I don’t know if the CTC copies of the other members are not ready. So, what has presented to me was what I recognized and I swore them in.”
Dewan further maintained that only the presentation of the certificates of return and the CTC copies of the judgments by the remaining members would give him the authority to inaugurate them as members of the House of Assembly.
Also speaking on the accusation by some members of the APC that he countered a court order, Dewan challenged those accusing him to sue him for contempt.
The Speaker also denied that his action was politically motivated, insisting that he was only ensuring that due process was followed.
