Quickly responding to the recent court ruling that led to the removal of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, the Plateau State House of Assembly has undergone a restructuring of its leadership, with Honourable Gabriel Dawang emerging as the new speaker.
Honourable Dawang, representing Pankshin North, secured the position of speaker in a session held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The assembly also elected Honourable Timothy Dantong, representing Riyom constituency, as the deputy speaker.
The reshuffling of the leadership positions follows the resignation of the former speaker, Honourable Moses Thomas Sule, and the deputy speaker, Honourable Gwottaon Fom.
The decision to step down from their roles is widely speculated to be linked to the recent court judgment that resulted in the removal of Governor Mutfwang and some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the state assembly.
The sacking of Governor Mutfwang was attributed to the PDP's use of an illegal caretaker committee to conduct primaries in Plateau State, a move deemed to be in violation of a court order.
The Presidency, through Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, squarely placed the blame on the PDP for the legal complications that led to the governor's downfall.