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The political crisis in Zamfara State appears to be taking a different twist as 10 members of the House of Assembly protested against their suspension by its leadership.
While accusing the executive of masterminding the suspension,
they called on the National Assembly, security agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and other stakeholders to caution the State Legislature to avoid the looming anarchy and breakdown of law and order.
The lawmakers, comprising six members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and four from the All Progressives Congress (APC), at a press conference in Abuja said though they have submitted a petition to the National Assembly, they are being constrained to take a legal action against the State Legislature.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the member representing Maru South on the platform of PDP, Nasiru Abdullahi Maru condemned the declaration of the seat of the Minority Leader, Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagar was vacant on Tuesday.
Arise News Correspondent learnt that there is palpable tension in Zamfara Assembly following the latest decision to suspend the Minority Leader.
According to Maru, the House of Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki had illegally suspended eight of them last year without recourse to constitutional provisions or the House Standing Rules with their allowances withheld and constituents left unrepresented.
He said, “The House at its Tuesday’s sitting, January 28 ignorantly declared the seat of Minority Leader vacant just for political reasons to silence any reasonable member of the House. This, we condemn in its totality.
“We are hence calling for immediate rescinding of the purported declaration as vacant, the seat of the Minority Leader and member representing Talata-Mafara South State Constituency, Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara by the Zamfara State House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki which we also deemed as an embarrassment emanating from ignorance, abuse of office, and a move to weed out anyone who challenges them.”
“The same Bilyaminu’s House leadership suspended eight of us from the House on February 26 last year, 2024, illegally without recourse to constitutional provisions or the House Standing Rules. Our salaries and allowances have been withheld, and our constituents not represented since then just for voicing out our constituents’ security challenges before the House which became a crime against the House leadership.
“The suspension, which was effected without due process or fair hearing, is a clear violation of our rights and the principles of natural justice. The declaration of the Minority Leader’s seat vacant is a further attempt to silence him and disenfranchise him for his stance on the call for the Assembly to reverse the suspension of Eight Honourable members and address the injustice.”
Maru said the Assembly is more or less now under the control of the executive led by the PDP administration of Governor Dauda Lawal as it virtually takes orders from there and lump same on the members, whereby the minority’s voice is barely heard.
He said after removing 10 of them, the 24-member Assembly can no longer boast of a two-third majority, adding that therefore, most of the decisions taken under the circumstances, including passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill and state laws Amendments, stand illegal, null and void.
“It is sad to note that through these undue interferences by the powers-that-be among the lawmakers, they have been fighting and terrorising even their own members who refuse to dance to their tunes especially as rubber stamps, face suspension threats but this cannot be allowed to continue with such abuse looking like business as usual.
“The House currently on recess since September last year, due to ongoing renovation which even trapped the 2025 Appropriation Bill presentation compelling it into a matter of public importance (the leadership) reopened the House to allow the Governor present the budget proposal before a few of the members.
“The Assembly leadership also needs to explain to the electorate how many times they sat to take public interest decisions in the House of Assembly which has been moving from one place to another and only come together on a short notice to meet in secretive manners and take the bidding of their master who has since turned them into rubber stamps that are only convenient to some members.
“We wish to call on the National Assembly, security agencies, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to call the Zamfara State House of Assembly to order as well as caution the State Legislature over this matter that may lead to taking them to court with claims of damages.”
Friday Olokor
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