Zamfara: Constituents Write Speaker, Abbas On Hon Jaji’s Recall

The Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency Coalition for Sustainable Democracy has notified the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on the constituents’ resolve to immediately recall Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji over alleged poor performance, gross negligence of the people since his election in 2023 and divisive politics in the state.

The letter to the House Speaker, seen by LEADERSHIP, was submitted on May 22, 2024, duly stamped and acknowledged by his office.

Titled, “Notice Of Commencement Of Recall Of Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, Member Representing Kaura Namoda/ Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency Of Zamfara State In House Of Representatives On Account Of Poor Representation,” the letter was signed by the coalition’s chairman, Hon Bello Mahmud Birnin Magaji and its secretary, Comrade Mustapha Ibrahim.

They said voters in the constituency, who have been marginalised and dumped by Jaji trooped out en masse to endorse their signatures for his recall which will be submitted to the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu for verification by the commission and subsequent conduct of a referendum for his recall as an exercise of their civic duties.

The letter read in part, “it has become necessary to hold elected public officers accountable if we must deepen democracy in Nigeria. It is obvious that Nigeria would have been a great arsenal of democracy in Africa if elected public officers are held accountable as obtainable in developed democracies.”

“Please take notice that the Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency Coalition for Sustainable Democracy has informed the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its resolve to recall Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji representing Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency of Zamfara State from the House of Representatives due to poor representation and negligence of the constituency.

“Hon. Jaji has proven that he could not effectively represent the good people of Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency. It is as if we do not have any member in the House of Representatives as he has not visited his constituency and could hardly be reached in spite of the reign of terror occasioned by persistent bandits’ attacks and siege in the area in which numerous people have been killed, kidnapped, displaced, property destroyed, cattle rustled, farmlands deserted that caused the worst humanitarian crisis in Nigeria as our people are impoverished and displaced in their own land.”

The letter stated that complaints have been made against the lawmaker on a daily basis by aggrieved and neglected members of the constituency as he abandoned them to their fate.

It added that all efforts to call him to order and the urgent need to interface with his constituents failed because he “reclined in his Abuja comfort zone” and did not pay heed to the sufferings of the people who need effective representation.

“Hon. Jaji’s political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Ward, Local Government and State levels equally intervened to no avail. As a political party that abhors inept leadership, the Ward, Local Government and State Chapters of the party suspended him accordingly which was widely reported in the national media and social media.

“In view of Hon. Aminu Jaji’s very poor representation, we the good people of Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency have resolved and strongly determined to recall him from the House of Representatives immediately to avoid further squander and fritter away of our mandate to him. We miscalculated in our choice of Hon. Jaji.

“In tandem with Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides for the recall of a member of the House of Representatives among others viz:

“ ‘A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives may be recalled as such a member if –

(a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member; and

(b) the petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency.’

“Giving credence to Section 69 of the Constitution, Section 14 (2)b of the Constitution states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. With the combined effect of Section 14 (2)b and Section 69 of the Constitution, we have requested from the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, for all the Forms and materials needed to commence the recall process. The electorate are ready to endorse their signatures. Our mandate is sacrosanct, it should not be taken for granted for any reason or for no reason whatsoever as power resides in the people.

“We are resolute in recalling Hon. Jaji from the House of Representatives to pave way for an effective, competent, capable, dynamic, purposeful and compassionate lawmaker. It is our right to have a quality and efficient representative and to withdraw a non-performing one,” the letter stated.