Battle for Plateau Assembly intensifies as APC pressures Speaker to resign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its stakeholders in Plateau State are intensifying pressure on the party’s 22 members in the Plateau State House of Assembly to impeach Speaker Honourable Gabriel Dewan, the lone representative of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), and take over the House leadership.

The push follows the 2023 Appeal Court ruling that disqualified 22 elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring APC candidates as the rightful winners due to the PDP’s lack of structure in the state.

Dewan, who assumed the Speaker’s position after the PDP seats were vacated, retained the role even after the APC members were inaugurated.

However, the APC leadership considers his continued hold on power undemocratic and an anomaly that must be corrected.

Plateau APC Chairman Rufus Bature has openly criticized the situation, calling it an aberration.

“In a democracy, the majority always has its way while the minority has its say. The APC has 22 members, yet a single YPP lawmaker is presiding over the affairs of the House. That is undemocratic,” Bature said.

He stated that the party is not advocating for violence but for a legitimate leadership transition through a formal motion in the Assembly.

The APC chairman further argued that having the governor and the Speaker from Plateau Central Senatorial District disrupts the state’s zoning arrangement.

In response, Honourable Matthew Kwarpo, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, acknowledged the APC’s concerns but called for patience.

“The Court of Appeal judgment altered the House’s leadership structure, and realignment will take time. The Speaker himself has acknowledged that he will eventually step aside for the majority party,” Kwarpo stated.

He stressed that the transition should be peaceful and not rushed to avoid crises similar to those in Rivers and other states.

“It is easy to remove a Speaker in a minute, but we will not force it in a way that destabilizes Plateau,” Kwarpo added.