Ten members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, on Friday, rose from an emergency meeting and called on the National Assembly to immediately wade into their suspension.
Led by Nasiru Abdullahi Maru, the lawmakers at a press conference in Abuja Friday called on security agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to reverse their suspension in the interest of the state.
The lawmakers alleged that their suspension was instigated by Governor Dauda Lawal, who was angry that they did not dance to his tunes.
They threatened to head to the court to seek redress and claim damages over the treatment meted to them.
They contended that their suspension was carried out without due process or fair hearing, and “remains a clear violation of our rights and the principles of natural justice.”
The lawmakers also faulted the decision by the pro-Lawal state House of Assembly to declare the seat of their colleague, Aliyu Ango Kagara, the Minority Leader of the Assembly representing Talata-Mafara South State vacant in breach of standing rules of the House on Tuesday, January 28th 2025.
“We are hence calling for immediate rescinding of the purported declaration as vacant, the seat of the Minority Leader and member representing Talata-Mafara South State Constituency, Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara by the Zamfara State House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki which we also deemed as an embarrassment emanating from ignorance, abuse of office, and a move to weed out anyone who challenges “them” the State Assembly,” they said.
“The House at its Tuesday’s sitting, 28th January ignorantly declared the seat of Minority Leader vacant just for political reasons to silence any reasonable member of the House. This, we condemn in its totality.
“The same Bilyaminu’s House leadership suspended eight of us from the House on 26th February last year, 2024, illegally without recourse to Constitutional Provisions or the House Standing Rules. Our salaries and allowances have been withheld, and our Constituents not represented since then just for voicing out our constituents’ security challenges before the House which became a crime against the House leadership.”
In attendance at the briefing were Hon. Ibrahim Tudu Tukur, Hon. Faruk Musa Dosara Bakura Constituency Maradun I Constituency, Hon. Shamsudeen Hassan, Hon. Bashar Aliyu, Talata-Mafara North Constituency Gummi I Constituency and Nasiru Abdullahi Maru.
Others are Hon. Barr. Bashir Abubakar Masama Maru North Constituency Bukkuyum North Constituency, Hon. Amiru Ahmed 8. Hon. Basiru Bello Tsafe West Constituency Bungudu West Constituency, Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara Talata-Mafara South and Hon. Mukhtaru Nasiru of Kaura Namoda North.
