Wase, Ex-Reps’ Dep Speaker Warned Against Stoking Crisis In Plateau

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

A socio-political group, the Plateau Patriotic Front, has described the call by the member representing Wase Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, that the leadership of the National Assembly should intervene in the affairs of the Plateau State House of Assembly as an invitation to stoke violence and disrupt governance in the State.

The group in a statement issued on Tuesday on the heels of the call and signed by its Chairman, Mani Imman said for Wase, a former Deputy Speaker, to describe the situation as “the crisis surrounding the swearing-in of new members of the Plateau State House of Assembly” portrays him as “a lover of crisis.”

His words, “It has come to our notice the development at the floor of the House of Representatives as reported in the media that the former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase raised a motion during the plenary.

“He called on the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene in “the crisis surrounding the swearing-in of new members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.”

“It baffles us the consistent love that Mr. Wase has for graphic words like “crisis, threat to security” at the time that the State Governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, the security agencies, and people of goodwill are working to ensure relative peace for the State and its citizens.

“We view this alarm as an attempt to stoke problems and disrupt governance and the peaceful atmosphere under the guise of crisis in the State House of Assembly”, the group said.

Recall that Wase has been quoted as saying, “The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly has refused to swear in all the new members, instead demanding that they submit letters of resignation with accompanying court affidavits as a condition for swearing-in.

“Failure to address the delays and biases in the swearing-in of the new members poses a threat to security in the state and undermines the principles of justice, fairness, and democracy.

“The Court of Appeal hearing appeals arising from judgments of the Plateau State Election Tribunal made decisions which resulted in the nullification of Certificates of Return of 16 sitting members of the Plateau State House of Assembly and ordered the issuance of new Certificates of Return to the new Members by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”