The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Kudengbena Dewan, on Wednesday formally swore in five additional members of the Assembly from the All Progressives Congress (APC). These members were reinstated by a Court of Appeal decision in November 2023.

Though the House had earlier gone on recess, they convened a special sitting by invoking order 5 of the House rules to allow for the inauguration of the new members. Those sworn in include former Speaker Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda (Pengana, Bassa LGA), Engr. Owen Dagogot (Quaan’pan North), Prof. Theodore Maiyaki (Quaan’pan South), Hon. Dalyop Gyang (Jos South), and Hon. Dachung Dadong (Riyom LGA).

While welcoming the newly inaugurated members, Speaker Dewan expressed his satisfaction that all constituencies in the state were now fully represented. “I’m pleased that we now have a complete Assembly, with no vacancies. It is time to focus on governance, and each representative must ensure their constituency is effectively represented,” he said. He also emphasized the need for unity within the House, as they plan to push for key issues, including advocating for Plateau State’s ministerial slot at the federal level.

Prof. Theodore Maiyaki, one of the new members, shared his commitment to enhancing legislative work in the Assembly. He assured that their presence would strengthen efforts to address the needs of their various constituencies and work towards aligning legislative actions with the executive arm of government.

With these five new members joining the Assembly, the House now has its full complement of 24 members. The composition includes 22 APC members, along with one member each from the Labour Party (LP) and the Young People’s Party (YPP).

The recent swearing-in follows a November 2023 Court of Appeal ruling in Abuja, which nullified the election of 16 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members due to the party’s failure to meet the legal requirements for nominating candidates.