Benue APC suspends Waku, Jime, 10 others
Plateau Assembly to conduct fresh poll for office of speaker
The Benue State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, suspended some of its key members including a former Senator, Joseph Waku, immediate past House of Representatives member for Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, Barrister Emmanuel Jime and 10 others from the party.
The suspension, announced on the state’s owned broadcasting station, indicated that the decision was taken by the party’s executive body during a meeting held in Makurdi.
Daily Trust reports that the suspended party stalwarts have been in court since after the party’s The Plateau State House of Assembly is to conduct fresh poll for the position of speaker, following the outcome of yesterday’s exercise where both candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 12 votes each in a House of 24 members.
The 8th Assembly of the House ended abruptly and shelved its primary elections were concluded in the state last year with most of them alleging that their names were substituted while others claimed that the polls did not hold in their areas.
It was learnt that the party’s executive committee suspended the members after they were said to have refused to heed to its advice to withdraw cases they had filed before the courts against the party’s preferred candidates.
The Benue State chairman of the APC, Comrade Abba Yaro who announced the suspension, said the suspended members comprised Jime, Waku, Mrs. Dorathy Mato, Sunny Odugbo, Justice Utsaha, John Usaka, E. Onaji, Matthew Nezan, Frank Utoo, plenary and inaugural sitting on Tuesday as members failed to elect the leadership of the House.
Two lawmakers expressed interest to vie for the position of the speaker including the former speaker of the House, Hon. Istifanus Mwansat (PDP) and Hon. Peter Azi (APC).
After several hours of deliberations at the hollow chamber of the assembly complex, Mwansat from Plateau Central Senatorial Linda Ogbeche, Avine Agbum and Ojogbsni Adai.
Waku and Jime were governorship aspirants of the party in the recently concluded general elections. Jime was challenging the emergence of Governor Samuel Ortom who emerged the party’s flagbearer, claiming that no primary election was held.
Mrs. Mato is challenging the emergence of Herman Hembe as candidate for Jechira Federal Constituency, Frank Utoo challenged the emergence of Tarkigir Dickson as APC candidate for Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency while Agbum faulted the nomination of the member representing Makurdi South state constituency. district scored 12 votes while Azi from the Northern Senatorial district also scored 12 votes.
Failure to reach a compromise had compelled the clerk of the House to announce the rescheduling of the election for a later date.
The PDP has a majority of 13 members against the APC’s 11 in the Plateau State House of Assembly.
A member who
pledged anonymity said the arrival of the state’s PDP Chairman Mr. Raymond Dabo created tension, prompting the state governor, Simon Bako Lalong, to call for a postponement of the election and subsequent inauguration of the 8th Assembly.
Supporters of both parties however, expressed disappointment as they were seen leaving the Assembly complex wearing sad looks on their faces.