The 16 lawmakers in Plateau State who were sacked by the Court of Appeal were on Tuesday prevented from participating in plenary of the State House of Assembly by police operatives who used tear gas on them.

The dismissed lawmakers who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had vowed to be part of the plenary Plateau Assembly Rayfield Old Government House in Jos. But the place was overrun by police and other security personnel who refused to let them gain access to the House of Assembly Chambers.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had in November 2023 invalidated the election of the 16 members of the state House of Assembly on ground that PDP had no structure to nominate them as candidates.

But the lawmakers said the Supreme Court judgement that upheld the election of Governor Caleb Mutfwang by holding that PDP had a structure to nominate him had automatically upturned the decision of the Court of Appeal in their own case.