Rita Odafe
Oath Ceremony for Plateau APC Members
The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Gabriel Dewan, has officially sworn in five additional members of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
These members were part of a group of 15 APC legislators, along with one from the Labour Party, whose victories were confirmed by the Appeal Court last November.
The new members include Owen Dagogot (Qua’an-Pan North), Theodore Maiyaki (Qua’an-Pan South), Yakubu Sanda (Pengana), Dachung Dadon (Riyom), and Dalyop Gyang (Shendam South).
The swearing-in took place during a plenary session at the old government house on Wednesday.
Previously, on April 5, the Speaker had administered the oath to nine members after they signed resignation letters. The remaining seven lawmakers-elect had not been sworn in because they refused to sign these letters, although two were eventually sworn in last week.
Former Governor Simon Lalong and other party officials voiced their frustrations regarding the delay in swearing in their colleagues, alleging that the Speaker was acting on directives from Governor Caleb Mutfwang, a claim the government has denied.
Acting APC spokesperson Shittu Bamaiyi emphasized that the Speaker’s actions had deprived the affected constituencies of their constitutional representation for almost eight months.
“With today’s swearing-in, we now have a complete House, ready for quality discussions and improved governance,” he remarked, expressing confidence in the new legislators.
Following this event, the Plateau State House of Assembly now consists of 24 members: 22 from the APC, one from the Labour Party, and the Speaker from the Young People’s Party (YPP).
