Politics

Jigawa Speaker impeached

Published

8 years ago

January 3, 2017

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The Speaker of Jigawa State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Idris Garba, has, this Tuesday, January 3, 2017, been impeached by members of the House. The Speaker was said to have been impeached this morning as members elected Alhaji Isa Idris as new Speaker.

It was gathered that Deputy Speaker Ahmed Garba, who presided over the sitting attended by 23 members, said that Idris Garba was impeached for alleged high handedness and abuse of power.

The Clerk of the House, Hussaini Ali, earlier announced that he received an impeachment notice signed by 25 of the 30 members of the House, and which he read on the floor of the Assembly.

Shortly after, the Deputy Speaker read the impeachment notice on the floor of the house, and confirmed the number of members that signed the notice.

According to Ahmed Garba, 25 of the 30-member assembly endorsed the impeachment notice.

This showed that the House met the constitutional requirement of two third to impeach any of its principal officers.

“With this development, I hereby declare the seat of the Speaker vacant and a fresh election should be conducted to elect the new speaker,” he said.

Following Idris Garba’s impeachment, two members– Isa Dutse of Dutse Municipal constituency and Isa Idris of Gwaram constituency– were nominated for the election to replace the impeached Speaker.

However, Isa Idris defeated Isa Dutse with 12 to six votes, while five members were indifferent.

In his acceptance Speech, the new Speaker promised to run an open door policy and solicited members’ support and cooperation.

Garba’s impeachment makes him the third speaker to be removed from office in recent times.

Right Honourable Martins Azubuike, Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly was impeached last December and replaced by Kennedy Njoku, who was said to have resigned within 24 hours of his emergence as Speaker.

Right Honourable Adams Dabotorudima, Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly, was gathered to have resigned under political pressures.