Plateau Assembly Speaker should be an APC member – Chairman, Bature says
By Kingsley Chukwuka
The Plateau State All Progressives Congress (APC), Chairman, Rufus Bature has said constitutionally given the fact that the APC is more in number in the State House of Assembly, is enough reason for his party to produce the Speaker.
He said that has not happened given the circumstances that allowed the APC Assembly members to be sworn-in.
Bature stated this on Thursday while speaking to our correspondent on some political issues in the State.
“The House of Assembly issue is a complicated issue that for whatever reasons, they have not been able to live as a Democratic House where the majority rules. You know the intricacies that were involved right from the onset, before they were able to swear in some of the members,
“They were sworn-in in badges, and I don’t think that hangover has left them.
“However, as a party we feel that they should do the needful by making the Speaker an APC member, because in democracy, the majority have their way.
“We are still hoping that the members of the APC in the house will do the needful. As Chairman, I have spoken to them to do what they are supposed to do because we don’t want a situation where we will put the House of Assembly on fire.
“As far as I am concerned,the House of Assembly is not properly constituted because of the position of the leadership”, he said.
On whether the APC is still strong in the State, Bature said the APC is alive and kicking on the Plateau, adding that the last local government elections is a testament that the party is still in the hearts of the electorates.
“If the results were truly announced by PLASIEC, the APC actually won 10 local governments. But as you know, it has become a tradition in Nigeria where the ruling party takes it all.
“This act is not peculiar to Plateau, it is a nationwide phenomenon, which is a wrong practice. It is not good for democracy. But like I said earlier, if the true result of the LGA elections were announced it would have been clear that the APC is alive on the Plateau.
“I am sure that the PDP are aware that come 2026 in the next LGA elections there will be a short down at the polls as a prelude to 2027”, he said.
