By Gbegbe Sunday/Goodluck Ikiebe in Abuja.
The Middle Belt Journalists Forum, MBJF, has sued for calm and the return to democratic norms in the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The MBJF made the appeal on Wednesday in a statement signed by its President, Jonathan IPAA and National Secretary, Mrs Oikeke Igado-Kure in Abuja.
The media pressure group, however,condemned the impeachment of the Plateau State House Speaker, Hon. Ayuba Abok and replacement with a new leadership by six out of the twenty four state lawmakers, saying, that Plateau state could not afford further escalation of any crisis.
The Forum described the impeachment as a legislative coup, but urged Plateau state elders to intervene by restoring peace to the House of Assembly.
“We see the crisis as a continued desecration of democracy on the Plateau, which is another ploy to deny the people their legitimate democratic rights in the name of internal party interest while the larger majorities remain in the trenches,”the Forum said.
It called on Plateau elders to as a matter of urgency, intervene against what it called legislative coup.
“Consequently, we call on the House of Representatives to immediately take over the affairs of Plateau State House of Assembly, pending when permeant peace will be restored.”
“The people of Plateau state must not be allowed to suffer further crisis, having gone through subjective communal crisis.
“We also appeal to the State Government, under Mr Simon Bako Lalong, to play safe with the fragile issue by allowing democratic norms to reign through the expression of the majority, no matter what their political differences or interests may be.” it cautioned.
