The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) Thursday reacted to the removal of the Speaker of Plateau state House of Assembly, Ayuba Abot, saying impunity of Governor Simon Lalong must be curtailed before they derail the nation’s democracy.
CUPP, which linked the removal to the alleged plot by President Muhammadu Buhari to remain in power beyond 2023, added that it is unthinkable for eight out of 24-man House of Assembly to remove the Speaker, as the Constitution doesn’t permit such.
The CUPP, in a statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere described the purported removal of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Hon. Ayuba Abok by only eight members of the 24-man House of assembly “as a rehearsal by President Buhari on how to use the barrel of the gun to remain in power beyond 29th May, 2023.
“Intelligence gathered by the CUPP points solely to the fact this is the plan of President Buhari regime to stay in office beyond its constitutionally allowed term. Otherwise, Nigerians should ask, how did the regime come up with the plan to deploy trigger happy Police and SSS personnel to the House of Assembly as early as 6am to provide cover for only 8 members of the House of Assembly to purport to remove the Speaker?
“It is clear that only 8 members of the Assembly did not form quorum and the House Rules which guide activities of the state legislature did not permit such an undemocratic situation where security forces will restrain members from accessing the Chambers while providing cover for only 8 members.
“The regime has now tried again and perhaps believes it has perfected the system it tried severally at the National Assembly to force leadership change.
“The joke of what happened in the Plateau is on those who despite all evidence still refer to General Muhammadu Buhari as a reformed democrat. The shame is on them. President Buhari deployed security forces which he alone has power to deploy to desecrate democracy in Plateau.
“The impunity of the APC and Governor Lalong must be curtailed now by the people of Plateau State. The Governor knows and is no longer in doubt that he has become so unpopular that he cannot mobilize all members of the House from his Party.
“APC has 15 members of the House, but the Governor could only mobilize 8. How unpopular could a party in power be? Nigerians must know at this point that the sin which Hon. Ayuba Abok is alleged to have committed against the APC and the Governor is that he gave Governor Simon Lalong an ultimatum to protect his citizens.
“This is like reminding the Governor that he had failed in his primary duty. These reactions are irrefutable evidences that President Buhari, the APC and Governor Lalong are comfortable with the insecurity and wanton killings in the country particularly in the Plateau.”
The CUPP therefore called on the nine Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House of Assembly and the seven courageous members of the APC to insist that Hon Ayuba Abok remains the Speaker.
“They should resist these myopic wannabe tyrants who cannot respect the tenets of constitutional democracy and principles of separation of powers.
“This is yet another wakeup call for all Nigerians to remain vigilant and watch this tyrannical regime closely and be ready to reclaim our country from them. We must not allow them foist insecurity and killings on the country and use that as an avenue to elongate their regrettable and disastrous stay in power,” the CUPP said.
