Hon. Nanloong Daniel (APC), representing Mikang Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, has been elected as the new Speaker of the House. His emergence follows the resignation of Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan (YPP), who stepped down amid sustained political tension over the leadership of the Assembly.
The speakership seat had been a source of friction, with APC lawmakers—who now form the majority in the House—demanding control of the position. The situation was finally resolved on Wednesday with Daniel’s election during a session held at the temporary Assembly Complex at the Old Government House in Jos.
Daniel, a former Majority Leader in the 9th Assembly, was unanimously endorsed by his colleagues to lead the legislature.
Before the emergency session, a crucial closed-door meeting was held involving Governor Caleb Mutfwang, former Speaker Gabriel Dewan, and other lawmakers to discuss the way forward.
The session that produced Daniel as Speaker was presided over by Deputy Speaker Hon. Gwotta Ajang, who steered the transition process.
Dewan, the sole legislator from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the Assembly, relinquished the speakership in what sources describe as part of broader efforts to stabilise the political environment in Plateau State.
It will be recalled that a recent Appeal Court ruling had sacked 16 PDP lawmakers in the House over irregularities in their mode of nomination, reshaping the political dynamics in the Assembly.
