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Zamfara State House of Assembly
Ten aggrieved members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly on Friday opposed the removal of the Minority Leader, Aliyu Ango-Kagara, describing his dismissal as illegal.
The PUNCH had reported three days ago that the Speaker of the House, Bilyaminu Moriki, declared the dismissed lawmaker’s seat vacant over allegations of prolonged absenteeism, stating that he had attended only 21 out of 180 plenary sittings.
Fourteen out of the 24 State Assembly members were said to have supported the motion, while the remaining 10 lawmakers condemned the removal of the All Progressives Congress chieftain, calling it a coup orchestrated by a handful of members who acted in an “irresponsible manner.”
Among those who backed his dismissal were Kabiru Mikailu Dangulbi (Maru South), Rilwanu Marafa Nagambo Anka (Anka), Ibrahim Garba Liman Fegin Mahe (Gusau II), and Adamu Aliyu Gummi (Gummi II).
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the aggrieved lawmakers, led by Nasiru Maru, representing Maru I Constituency, revealed that they had written to the leadership of the National Assembly, seeking intervention before the crisis in the Zamfara State Assembly escalated.
He said, “Due to this advantage (of not having a Minority Leader), the Assembly is now more or less under the control of the Executive and is virtually taking orders from there.
“We wish to add that the eight of us here have been subjected to undue and illegal suspension by the Assembly simply because we refused to dance to their tunes and serve as rubber stamps for the Executive.
“If you remove 10 of us—including or excluding Kagara—the 24-member Assembly can no longer boast a two-thirds majority. Therefore, most of the decisions taken under these circumstances, including the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill and amendments to state laws, are illegal, null, and void.
“We are calling for the immediate reversal of the purported declaration of the Minority Leader’s seat as vacant by the Zamfara State House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Bilyaminu Moriki. We consider this an embarrassment stemming from ignorance, abuse of office, and an attempt to silence anyone who challenges ‘them.’”
The 10 lawmakers who attended the press conference included Hon. Ibrahim Tukur, Faruk Musa, Shamsudeen Hassan, Bashar Aliyu, Nasiru Maru, Bashir Masama, Amiru Ahmed, Basiru Bello, Aliyu Ango-Kagara, and Mukhtaru Nasiru.
