Jigawa Assembly Crisis: Speaker sacks lawmakers as committee chairpersons

Some lawmakers in the Jigawa State House of Assembly on Thursday said they will go to court after their removal as chairpersons of house standing committees by the speaker, Idris Garba.

The affected lawmakers include former speaker, Isa Idris, Aminu Sankara, Dayyabu Shehu and Sani Isyaku representing, Gwaram, Ringim, Taura, and Gumel constituencies respectively.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Mr Isyaku said the speaker’s action violated the house standing rules.

“The entire process is a fraud because none of the house standing rules were followed and no reasons were given for the downsizing of the house committee as the monthly allocation of the state House of Assembly was not altered despite the 19 per cent reduction of the state budget,” Mr Isyaku said.

The speaker, Mr Garba, had during Thursday’s plenary announced the removal of Mr Isyaku and three other members as chairpersons of house committees. He said the decision was due to paucity of funds following the impact of coronavirus pandemic.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the running battle between the speaker and Mr Isyaku following the suspension of the latter over an alleged attack on Governor Muhammad Badaru’s convoy in Hadejia Local Government Area.

Mr Isyaku is challenging his suspension in the state high court. The court in its first ruling, ordered the restoration of Mr Isyaku’s right and privileges and voided the resolution of the house on his suspension.

The assembly has 30 members representatives and each member chairs a committee, and belongs to another committee as members.

Lawmaker recalled

The speaker, after announcing the removal of the lawmakers from the committees, also announced the recall of the suspended Mr Isyaku.

He said, “The indefinite suspension of Mr Isyaku is now lifted following the intervention of elders from his constituency and the state.”

After the announcements, he said the house had proceeded on an “indefinite recess.”

However, Mr Isyaku said he would not comment on his recall to the house because he did not mandate any person to speak on his behalf.

He said the matter was before a court of law and only his lawyers would decide the next line of action.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr Isyaku has the sympathy of majority of his colleagues which made the speaker to announce an indefinite recess to give him more time to mend fences with some aggrieved lawmakers allegedly plotting to impeach him.

Lawmakers accuse the speaker of turning the house to a loyal arm of the executive, loyal to the governor.

The phone numbers of the speaker and that of the house spokesperson, Babangida Hadejia, did not connect Friday.