Serving and members-elect of the Sokoto State House of Assembly on the platform of the APC have rejected the plan by the outgoing 8th Assembly to amend the existing House Standing Orders.
APC won 16 of the 30 seats in the assembly at the recently conducted elections in the state and may likely occupy all the principal offices of the house after their inauguration.
The existing orders provide for the election of the speaker and his deputy through electronic voting or raising of hands to be counted by tellers and the persons with the highest votes get elected.
However, some APC members in the house claimed there were moves to tamper with the existing order to achieve a pre-meditated interest.
“Therefore, any attempt to alter the existing provisions of the house standing orders at the eleventh hour, aimed at manipulating the orders to favour certain egocentric interests of some political zealots will be resisted,” the members averred.
Addressing a press conference at the residence of the leader of the party in the state, Sen. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the members said already a seven-member committee was set up to carry out “this obnoxious plan” which was headed by an outgoing member.
The Member representing Gwadabawa South, Abdullahi Garba Sidi, who addressed the gathering, said, “Out of the seven, only two members were from APC, which is lopsided and most unfair even when viewed from the membership of the 8th Assembly.”
According to him, “In view of this, the two members of the committee have decided to resign from the membership of the committee with immediate effect.
“Therefore, we the serving and members-elect of the APC remain committed and resolute in ensuring strict adherence to the existing house standing orders and will not be a party to its amendment. We totally oppose the decision and shall take all lawful measures to abort it,” he said.
