A High Court in Plateau has ordered the immediate reinstatement of Abok Ayuba as speaker of the state House of Assembly. In her ruling on Monday, presiding judge Nafisa Musa declared Ayuba’s impeachment illegal and nullified it. The court also awarded N1.5 million for litigation costs and N138,000 for filing the suit.
Ayuba had approached the court to challenge his removal, arguing that his dismissal by a vote of fewer than the two‑thirds majority required—16 of the 24 members—violated Section 92(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as Order 7, Rule 14 of the Plateau State House of Assembly Standing Orders 2021 (as amended).
The impeachment was led by eight lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress and presided over by Deputy Speaker Saleh Yipmong on 28 October 2021. During the proceedings, members of the Peoples Democratic Party were prevented from entering the assembly complex. Following the removal, APC member Yakubu Sanda, representing the Pengana constituency, was announced as the new speaker.
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