The embattled Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Peter Abel Diah, has resigned, following weeks of political intrigue.
Mr Diah, who is representing Mbamga constituency for the fifth time, is the longest-serving legislator in the house.
Confirming his resignation to journalists in Jalingo on Sunday, Mr Diah said he resigned for personal reasons, Premium Times reports.
He was elected following the inauguration of the eighth Assembly in June 2015 and was re-elected speaker in April 2016 after the declaration of a rerun election in his constituency ordered by the Court of Appeal in Yola.
In the political turmoil between the two, Mr Diah had, until Sunday morning, been in control of 13 members, against Governor Darius Ishaku’s 11.
Multiple sources in the Taraba Government House claimed some members were also lobbied to remove Mr Diah. DailyNews24 is yet to independently verify these claims.
Mr Diah got into trouble with Governor Ishaku following the removal of the erstwhile Deputy Speaker, Mohammed Gwampo.
His resignation notice was contained in a letter transmitted to the lawmakers on Wednesday and was read by the Deputy Speaker, Hammanadama Ibn-Abdullahi who stood as Speaker pro-tempo during the sitting.
The Chief Whip of the Assembly, John Kizito Bonzena, who represents Zing State Constituency was unanimously elected by the lawmakers as the new speaker.
