Why Plateau Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Gagdi was impeached after

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The Plateau State House of Assembly has impeached its Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi.

The impeachment drew jubilations from Assembly workers and some of the legislators.

Gagdi was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Kantana Constituency of Kanam local government area of Plateau state but defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier this year.

It was alleged that he decamped for the fear of impeachment by the APC controlled legislative house, but he denied the allegation and stated that he decamped because his constituents wanted him to.

Gagdi’s colleagues accused him of being autocratic and non-inclusive in his style of leadership saying they have lost confidence in him.

Hon. Sale Yipmong representing Dengi constituency of same Kanam local government area where Gagdi came from was announced as the new Deputy Speaker.

CityMirrorNews can confirm that 18 out of the 24 members of the House signed a drafted document where the members passed a vote of no confidence on the outspoken former Deputy Speaker as read by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Henry Yunkwap.

Reacting to the development, Gagdi noted that he saw his impeachment coming.

He said: “If I say I did not see it coming, it means I am not a politician. From the day I was elected, I knew that I would be hunted anytime any moment, after all when I entered the House of Assembly, I didn’t envisage that I am going to be the Deputy Speaker, in that circumstance I have it at the back of my mind that I can be removed at any time.”

Briefing journalists, the House Majority Leader, Hon. Yunkwap said, “It is constitutional if members said they are passing vote of no confidence and they have approached me with a document that they have passed vote of no confidence, and it encompasses a lot of issues. There are so many things we just don’t want to open up.”

Gagdi, however, stated that he took the decision of his colleagues in good faith and holds no grudge against anyone as he considered it as “an act of God”.

He said, “the good about it is that there was no good reason attached to the removal and I believe in destiny”.

It was not clear whether Gagdi was impeached only on the premises of autocracy or what his constituents tagged “misguided utterances” when as it was reported that he stated that Boko Haram had infiltrated his constituency after a Police Division was attacked by gunmen and about seven riffles carted away.