Niger Assembly Suspends Plenary Indefinitely Over Friction With Executive

Following unresolved issues with the Executive arm, the Niger State House of Assembly has suspended sitting indefinitely until the Executive arm meets its demands.

This was a sequel to a motion moved by a member representing Chanchaga constituency, Mohammed Abubakar Kabir, and seconded by a member representing Borgu constituency, Abdulrahman Gambo.

LEADERSHIP findings revealed that the issues were connected to funding, respect for the party’s house resolutions, and the outcome of the party’s last primary.

Hon Kabir did not list some of the unresolved issues at the resumption of plenary yesterday, but LEADERSHIP observed that the motion demonstrated a recent bottled-up discord with the Executive arm.

The member representing Chanchaga constituency told the house that prosperity will judge them if the house continues to allow pending issues with the executive to be swept under the carpet.

He said the members must stop sending the wrong signals to upcoming legislators by betraying the reputations built by their predecessors as a vibrant house.

While trying to roll out the issues on the floor, Hon Kabir was not allowed to list the “unsolved issues,” as it was resolved that the matter be discussed at the executive session; however, the motion was seconded by the member representing Borgu constituency, Hon Abdulrahman Gambo.

On his part, the member representing Lavun constituency, Jibrin Ndagi Baba, had a different view, as he countered the motion, insisting that there was no point standing down the proceedings since the house had already reconvened for the day’s business.

The arguments for and against quickly degenerated into a rowdy session, with the majority of the members insisting that the house could not sit.

The speaker, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, stepped into the matter by putting the two motions to a vote; those in support of suspending plenary carried the day, and the house went into executive session.

LEADERSHIP observed that, after the just-concluded party primaries, only 12 out of the 26 APC members of the house secured the party ticket through the controversial consensus arrangements, while others were not returned.