Embattled Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly Terkimbi Ikyange has called on the police in Abuja to restore law, order and integrity of the House.
Lawmakers, on Tuesday, removed Ikyange as the Speaker for alleged high-handedness.
Ikyange, in a chat with reporters in Makurdi, said a formal petition would be lodged with the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Kpotun Idris.
He said Tuesday’s plenary, where he was purportedly removed, was illegal, adding decisions in respect of the other offices said to have been taken by the 22 members were null and void.
“The last sitting of the House held on July 10 under my authority, during which the House unanimously adjourned plenary till August 15. The House was not reconvened on Tuesday, July 24.
“The House rules are clear as to which authority can reconvene the Assembly. The House can only be reconvened by me, as the Speaker, or the Deputy Speaker, acting on my instructions. That was not the case as no authorised person reconvened the House on Tuesday, and therefore, no business of my removal or any other business could have been legally conducted,” Ikyange said.
He alleged those who reconvened the House and conducted the illegal business did so with the sponsorship of the executive arm, under Governor Samuel Ortom, who allegedly facilitated their entry into the Assembly through a backdoor linking the Government House to the Assembly.
Ikyange added the lawmakers, who sat on Tuesda,y did not use the mace which was in his custody but imported a mace from the Makurdi Local Government Legislative House.
According to him, Clerk of the House, Tereseer Agena, procured the mace, which “was illegal and did not confer any authority on the Tuesday sitting”.
Ikyange noted the use of the illegal mace was “a blatant criminal misrepresentation of the authority of the House and my purported removal, and the election of a new Speaker amounted to impersonation”.
Twenty-two of the 30 lawmakers reconvened for a sitting on Tuesday and removed Ikyange as Speaker.
He was replaced with Titus Uba (APC-Kyan Constituency), with Johnson Ahubi (PDP- Otukpo/Akpa Constituency) elected deputy Speaker.