From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, Yakubu Sanda has declared the seat of the immediate past former Speaker of the House, Abok Ayuba, vacant.
The speaker made the declaration during plenary on Tuesday after reading a letter written to him by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), state chapter, seeking to declare the seat vacant.
In the letter signed by the state party Chairman, Rufus Bature, APC informed the speaker that they are in receipt of a letter from the former speaker, seeking his membership withdrawal from the party, which according to them contravenes Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“In view of the above, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party which sponsored his election wishes to request that, as the Honourable Speaker of the Plateau State House Assembly, you should invoke the power conferred on you by Section 109(ii) to accordingly, declare vacant the seat of Hon. Nuhu Abok Ayuba since the constitutional conditions that warrant his defection do not exist.
“There is no division whatsoever in the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State to enable him take benefit of the provision of Section 109(i) g of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
“The consequence of his defection without any justification is that he must vacate his seat as stipulated under Section 109(1) g of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” the statement read.
Ayuba, who recently announced his departure from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represents Jos East state constituency at the Assembly.
It will be recalled that, the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, who doubles as Chairman House Committee on Information and also Rules and Ethics, Nanlong Daniel has accused Ayuba of impersonating the speaker of the House by addressing a letter with the letter head of the office of the speaker.
A member of the opposition PDP and member representing Riyom State Constituency, Timothy Dantong had kicked against the declaration of the former speaker’s seat as vacant without fair hearing and described it as illegal.
Similarly, the Speaker, Yakubu Sanda also declared the seat of Member, representing Rukuba-Irigwe in the House of Assembly, Musa Agah vacant, following his election to the National Assembly recently, representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, during a bye-election last month.