The Speaker of Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, yesterday survived a reported impeachment move against him, with members of the state assembly instead passing a vote of confidence in him and Governor Umar Namadi’s administration.
Daily Trust gathered that the plot to impeach the speaker reached its crescendo late Tuesday when some members, said to have been dissatisfied with his leadership, reportedly commenced the process of initiating the impeachment process, citing alleged highhandedness, personalization of House affairs, and poor leadership.
This led to the deployment of a joint security team, comprising the police and the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps, to take over the Assembly complex in Dutse, the state capital.
The aggrieved lawmakers were said to have commenced the impeachment move while the speaker was on a foreign trip to Saudi Arabia with Governor Namadi. The trip, according to the governor, was aimed at attracting investors from the oil-rich country.
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The combined police and civil defense teams deployed to the assembly premises on Tuesday restricted entry to anyone, including assembly staff. When questioned about the heightened security presence, State Police Command Spokesperson DSP Lawal Shisu Adam cited intelligence reports indicating a potential threat to public peace, prompting proactive security measures.
But when the Assembly resumed plenary on Wednesday, it passed a vote of confidence in the Speaker, with sources saying the governor had intervened and asked the aggrieved lawmakers to sheathe their swords for the progress of the state.
The vote of confidence followed a motion moved by a member representing Malam Madori Constituency, Hamza Adamu Ibrahim, and seconded by a member representing Garki Constituency, Abdu Ila Muku.
Ibrahim said the vote of confidence in the executive and legislative arms was meant to strengthen the development process of the state.
He stressed the need for internal unity and cohesion among members of the legislative arm, as no meaningful success can be recorded in conflicting situations.
In his response, Dangyatin thanked members of the Assembly for the gesture and assured them that the leadership of the executive and the legislature would improve on what they were doing to justify the confidence reposed in them.
Daily Trust reports that Dangyatin’s emergence as speaker of the 8th Jigawa House of Assembly had faced stiff resistance from some members of the ruling party in the state. The former speaker, Idris Garba, had reportedly been nominated to continue to lead the Assembly by the party’s leadership, but Dangyatin, the perceived choice of Governor Namadi, emerged as the speaker.
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