Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. John-Clark Dabwan resigned hours ago to stave off impeachment by pro-Governor Jonah Jang law makers, Pointblanknews.com has authoritatively gathered.
Dabwan had resigned his office, citing “personal reasons” . The law makers have since elected Titus Alams from Bokkos Local Government as new Speaker.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Dabwan, who used to be Governor Jonah Jang’s protege, recently fell out of favour with the governor.
Jang had a stakeholders’ meeting, last week in Jos, hinted that the law makers had been complaining of Dabwan’s high handedness, and would be left no option than to unseat him.
Jang told the meeting of top politicians from the state that he could no longer restrain the law makers, and had advised Dabwan to resign.
Seemingly drawing inspiration from Jang’s disclosure, some law makers last Thursday attempted to forcefully unseat Dabwan. The impeachment plot collapsed following the opposition from some Dabwan supporters.
The anti-Dabwan supporters retreated to restrategise. This, sources say, culminated in the Speaker’s resignation.
Another source however told Pointblanknews.com that Dabwan’s major sin may have been a covert political ambition to succeed Jang in 2015.
Last May, Dabwan declared he would not re-contest the Mangu South constituency seat in 2015. He, however offered to serve the people “in any other capacity”, a declaration which the governor’s advisers said confirmed their suspicion.
Declared the former Speaker, “I will not re-contest the House of Assembly seat in 2015; I want to give you my words; I am not a selfish leader; somebody else should go there and represent us.
“But if you decide that I should still serve you in any capacity, that will be your solemn decision but I will work in accordance to your decision”, he added.
The former Speaker was also accused of “attending noctunal meetings” with political foes of the governor. He was particularly accused of sabotaging Jang during the 2012 workers’ strike.
A former state chairman of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Dabwan had allegedly without clearing with Jang, invited NLC leaders to resolve the strike.
The former Speaker’s action, sources told Pointblanknews.com, “had greatly embarrassed Governor Jang and falsely projected Dabwan as the de facto Chief Executive.”