The Concerned Nasarawa APC Stakeholders Forum has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to restore the rule of law in Nasarawa State as soon as possible.
The group specifically expressed concern over the alleged disobedience of a court order prohibiting Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe from posing as the Speaker of the 7th assembly in an election where Rt. Hon. Daniel Ogah Ogazi won with a simple majority of votes.
At a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, the convener of CNSAS, Alh Ibrahim Shuaibu, announced the decision.
He said: “The Concerned Nasarawa APC Stakeholders are worried over the substitution of impunity and lawlessness in the political space of the state, perpetuated by individuals who consider themselves invincible and their political interests above the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The continuous disregard for due process and existing order of a Federal High Court barring Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe from parading himself as the Speaker of the 7th Assembly in an election where Rt. Hon. Daniel Ogah Ogazi was elected by a simple majority vote and within the assembly complex is the height of impunity and lawlessness not expected to be condoned by a Chief Executive of a state and any other elected public official no matter their interests.
“Governor Abdullahi A. Sule’s ill-conceived hospitality and reception of the Balarabe-led group of some Assembly members at the Government House, Lafia, recently without recourse to the existing order of a Federal High Court on the Assembly matter is an aberration of his oath of office, which he swore with the holy Qur’an to uphold the Constitution and preserve democracy in the State. It’s obvious that the Governor’s interest in the Assembly leadership has worsened the crisis and has further brought other public officials in the State to a moral compromise.
“We therefore strongly advise Justice Aisha Bashir to recuse herself from the Assembly matter, as she cannot be trusted to deliver justice on the matter. Accordingly, we call on the National Judicial Council to beam its searchlights on the State Chief Judge and other Judges handling this matter, to ensure that Justice is served.
“A lawmaker has suddenly placed himself above the law; the same laws he wants our citizens to adhere strictly to are being set aside by the powers that be in the state. Those who make rules must play by the rules. We, therefore, call on law enforcement agencies to, as a matter of urgency, halt this brazen abuse of our laws by Balarabe and his group.
“Gentlemen, our state is gradually drifting into a very dangerous path; there is no regard for due process or our constitution if the Assembly crisis is left unchecked.
“We call on His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to order before he throws our dear State into a state of anarchy. A stitch in time saves nine.
“Finally, we appeal to the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene and take over the leadership of the State Assembly pending the resolution of the crisis, otherwise, citizens will have no option but to embark on citizen actions to Restore Democracy in Nasarawa State.”
