By Sam Kaye
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has postponed indefinitely the inauguration of the 24 members-elect for the Seventh Assembly earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 10 a.m.
The reason being that two speakers emerged from separate venues where the two factions sat and elected their principal officers.
A statement issued and signed by the Acting Clerk of the House Ibrahim Musa on Tuesday, stated that the postponement was based on security advice made available to the Governor of the state , Engr Abdullahi Sule.
The statement read “the Acting Clerk, Nasarawa State House of Assembly Ibrahim Musa wishes to inform all Members – elect and the General public that based on Security advices, the scheduled inauguration of the first session of the 7th Assembly as directed by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State Engr. Abdullahi Sule is hereby postponed.
“In view of the above, a re-scheduled time will be communicated to all Members – elect and the general public.
“We regret any inconveniences this postponement may have caused.” it stressed.
However, a statement issued few hours to the earlier slated time for the inauguration by the convener, Collation of Civil Society Organisations in the state, Dr Mustapha Idris, has described the announcement by the Acting Clerk of the House, Ibrahim Musa, as illegal.
“The news of the postponement this morning by the state owned radio station, Nasarawa Broadcasting Service ( NBS) is illegal as 13 members of the House are already at the assembly complex waiting patiently for the time of inauguration.
“Therefore all well wishers and members of the public should remain calm in solidarity for the set inauguration,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are reports that there was heavy security presence at the House of Assembly complex, who barricaded the entrance and prevented everyone, including the 13 members-elect from gaining access to the premises.
The 13 members-elect are believed to be supporters of one of the aspirants for the speakership position, Daniel Ogazi (APC-Kokona East).
Speaking with newsmen in lafia, Ogazi described the blocking of the entrance to the Assembly complex as unfortunate and called on the government to rescind its decision to postpone the inauguration of the 7th Assembly.
Ogazi who is contesting the post of the speakership with the former Speaker of the Assembly, Ibrahim Abdullahi said 13 members- elect stormed the premises of the House today but were denied entrance to the chamber to be inaugurated.
” 13 of us are here to perform our legitimate constitutional responsibility to elect the speaker and the deputy speaker, unfortunately the security men blocked the gate saying it’s an order from above.
“We are waiting for the authority to come and open the gate for us because we are suppose to be inaugurated today. Any responsible person knows that the governor has only one constitutional responsibility to perform which is to issue a proclamation to the House of Assembly which the clerk will receive and once that is issued, nobody has the right to utter such proclamation.
“In this case a proclamation has been issued to the state House of Assembly and the clerk acknowledged the receipt of the proclamation and approved that our inauguration will be today so nobody on earth can utter it,” he said.
He , therefore called on Governor Abdullahi Sule to intervene in the matter and inaugurate the 7th assembly to enable lawmakers elect their speaker and deputy speaker respectively.
Two speakers have emerged out of the leadership controversy that dodged the Nasarawa State House of Assembly in Lafia, the state capital on Tuesday.
They include the former speaker, Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi and Daniel Ogazi representing Kokona East constituency.
From Balarabe camp, the member representing Nasarawa Eggon East, Jacob Kudu was elected Deputy Speaker.
Balarabe Abdullahi was nominated by Muhammed Adamu Omadefu Keana Constituency and seconded by Danladi Jatau of Kokona West.
The Acting Clerk of the House Ibrahim Musa was said to have administered the oath of office.
