UPDATED: Chidari emerges new Kano assembly speaker amidst impeachment scare

The member representing Makoda constituency in Kano State House of Assembly, Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari has been elected new Speaker of the House.

His election followed the resignation of the erstwhile Speaker, Abdul’Aziz Garba Gafasa earlier on Tuesday.

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Daily Trust reports that though the former Speaker has attributed his resignation to personal reasons, his action may not be unconnected to the plot by the House to impeach him.

Garba-Gafasa tendered his resignation in a letter dated December 14 to the house clerk and permanent secretary.

He said his decision was for personal reasons.

The house majority leader, Kabiru Hassan Dashi has also resigned, but in a single-paragraph letter, he gave no reason.

Their resignation, it is believed, follows plans to have them impeached on Tuesday.

It was gathered that by early Tuesday, 35 of 40 legislators had already appended their signatures to remove both the speaker and the majority leader.

A house member anonymously told a news outlet that both men did not serve the interest of lawmakers.

“We moved against them for their lack of capacity to negotiate the welfare of the House before the governor,” he said

“In the last 10 months members have not received constituency project payments, and a lot of our entitlements are pending. Even the staff outfit allowance has also not been paid for a year.”

The new speaker, Chidari was until Tuesday morning the Deputy Speaker of the House.

Consequently, Zubairu Hamza Masu from Sumaila local government emerged the new Deputy of the House of Assembly.

The House Majority Leader, Kabiru Hassan Dashi, who had also resigned along with the speaker, was replaced by Abdul Labaran Madari from Warawa Local Government.

Following the change of leadership, the House went into a closed door session.

Addressing journalists after the change of leadership, Hon. Kawu Sumaila, a former House of Representatives member, said he came to the House to support the new deputy speaker, who is from his constituency.

He said while they are not yet certain about the reason for the resignation of the former speaker, his constituency is glad that one of their representatives in the House has emerged as the deputy speaker.

He said he does not believe the change will have any negative impact on the APC in the state.