Police barricade Nasarawa Assembly amid a leadership turmoil.

In an effort to prevent a breakdown in law and order following the election of two speakers for the seventh assembly, the police closed off the Nasarawa House of Assembly Complex on Wednesday.

The Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, the previous speaker, who was running for a third term as speaker, and Hon. Daniel Ogazi, a member of the Assembly who represents Kokona East constituency, were both elected as speakers in separate sittings on Tuesday.

While Ogazi was chosen as Speaker following the proceedings at the State Assembly complex, Balarabe-Abdullahi was chosen during a meeting that took place at the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

11 members were loyal to Balarabe-Abdullahi, who is also a member of the All Progressives Congress in the state, while 13 members-elect, including those from the opposition political parties, were thought to have supported Ogazi, who is a member of the APC.

In contrast, DSP Ramhan Nansel, the state’s police public relations officer, explained in a statement issued on Wednesday that the action was taken as a result of a decision from Maiyaki Mohammed-Baba, the state’s commissioner of police.

He added that the decision was issued by the commissioner following consultation with other state security agencies.