Nasarawa Assembly Crisis: Ogazi Camp Holds Sitting, Suspends Balarabe Group

The camp of Daniel Ogah Ogazi held its plenary at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Wednesday, where it suspended Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi’s group indefinitely.

The suspension of the 10-member Balarabe group, was sequel to a motion of public importance moved by the member representing Obi II constituency, Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba and seconded by Hon Ibrahim Aliyu Nana, Keffi West constituency.

Moving the motion on the matter, Hon Zhekaba averred that the absence of the 10 members from Tuesday proceeding amounted to abscondment, noting that the affected persons should be treated as deserters.

He observed that the affected members should also be dully punished for “illegally convening a kangaroo” meeting and “purportedly electing a speaker and a deputy speaker respectfully, to serve as a deterrent to other would be trouble makers”.

He therefore urged the House to forthwith, suspend the affected persons and bar them from entering the premises of the State Assembly.

Hon. Nana also re-echoed the position of Hon Zhekaba and urged the House to also take a decision to compel Balarabe not to parade himself as the speaker of the State Assembly.

Thereafter, Ogazi who presided over the plenary put the matter to voice votes where all members presented concurred with the position.

Abel Yakibu Bala, member representing Nasarawa Eggon constituency then moved the motion for the adjournment thereby bringing the proceeding to an end.

Recall that the camps laid claim to the leadership of the state assembly by electing Balarabe and Ogazi as speakers.

Speaking to journalists after the sitting, Hon Ogazi said the action of the 10 members, coming after a proclamation by Governor Abdullahi Sule that the inuaguration of members and all other proceedings must take place in the hallow chamber of the Assembly, was illegal, null and void.

He noted that the action of the members was contrary to section 105 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“This morning, based on motion of public importance moved by the member representing Obi II, Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba and seconded by Aliyu Nana representing Keffi West, members are satisfied that these 10 members erred, that what they did is contrary to section 105 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, and because of that those members elect, (because they are still members elect), the House barred them from entering this premises and suspended them forthwith.

“Also, they should be prevented from parading themselves as speaker, deputy speaker and members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. And that members of the public should not recognize them as Honourable members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly until they availed themselves before the hallow chamber to be properly sworn in and actively participate in the activities and procedures.

Today, they stand bared, they stand suspended. Today if they are ready to come before us we will welcome them,” he declared.

He called on Governor Sule to desist from recognizing the other camp and their leaders, even as he promised that the House under his leadership will support and cooperate with the governor to move the state to greater height.

However, a member from Balarabe’s camp has described the position of the Ogazi’s group as a joke taking too far.

He said the Ogazi camp has no locus standi to take any stand on matters that affect the House, noting that the alliance is an unholy one and illegal. He called on the security operatives to do the needful by effecting the arrest of the Ogazi group as they are becoming a “nuisance to legislative community and the state as a whole.”