The Forum of Former Legislators of Zamfara State House of Assembly has vowed to sue the house’s incumbent leadership within two weeks if it fails to recall eight members it allegedly suspended without following due process.
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna on Sunday, the Forum’s spokesperson, Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, said the suspension of eight members of the house was an apparent flagrant disobedience to the Rule of Law by an arm of government that ought to have been the protector and maintainer of land rules of governance.
Hon. Kanoma lamented the series of events at the Zamfara State House of Assembly under the Leadership of Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki as the Speaker and Mahmud Aliyu as the Clerk to the House are not democratic.
“We, Members of the Former Legislators Forum of Zamfara State, are here before you while our hearts are bleeding. Our mindset is shaky, and we are dismayed by flagrant disobedience to the Rule of Law by an arm of government that ought to have been the protector and maintenance of our lands’ rules of governance, the Zamfara State House of Assembly.
“This is a perceptible series of events that are going on at Zamfara State House of Assembly under the Leadership of Hon Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki as the Speaker and Mahmud Aliyu as the clerk to the House. It is a known fact that Democracy is a system upon which people are represented and heard through representations at the State Assembly via the provision of Section 90 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as a right, not a privilege.
“To this end, many constituencies were deprived of this representation unjustly, numbering about nine (10) out of 24 electoral constituencies as provided by the Constitution just for personal gain. What a pity! We think it’s very important to voice our concern to the general public, our actual position on this atrocious act perpetuated by the current leadership of the Zamfara State House of Assembly in betrayal of what they swore to protect and preserve as oath of office.
“The reality and fact of the matter was, somewhere in 2024, eight (8) Members of Zamfara State House of Assembly were unjustifiably suspended without following due process of law. Members representing Bakura, Maru North, Bungudu East, Gummi I, Bukkuyum West, Tsafe West, Mafara North, Kaura Namoda South and Maradun I, respectively (Hon. Ibrahim T Tukur, Hon. Nasiru Abdullahi, Bashir Sarkin Zango, Hon. Bashir Gummi, Hon Bashir Abubakar Masama, Hon. Amiru Keta, Hon. Shamsudeen Hassan Basko, Hon Jikan Shehu and Hon. Faruku Musa Dosara) via flimsy excuses of violation of unstated rules of the House while exercising their constitutional duties”. He said.
The Forum also vowed to drag the house before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because, “Very disheartening and in deliberate disobedient of laid down Rules as provided in the Zamfara State House of Assembly Standing Orders of 2014 (as amended) including the caricatured new Rules passed in 2024 by the House (as it cannot pass the test of a competent court), their salaries were stopped, all their entitlement were hurriedly and dishonestly shared between the Principal Officers of the House, in contravention of existing Financial Instruction Rules of the State. It is crystal clear how in violation of Section 36(1) (Fair Hearing) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and S3 (a&b) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2014.
“Members were arraigned before Magistrate Court 1 Gusau, labelled with criminal charges from the Office of the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice under the influence and directive of the Executives.
“This is a direct strangulation of democracy and its principles of power separation as contained in the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The penalty if any contempt may have been in place is not more than 14 Legislative Days as provided by Standing Orders of the Hon. House, which is now over 350 days. What a mirage.
“Indeed, many influential personalities, Ulama, National Assembly, Legislative Forum, political parties, political allies of the Governor, i.e. (Sambo Gusau) and another committee headed by the SA Assembly matters Hon Shehu Ahmad Sarkin Fulani with another committee headed by the Governor himself and other well-meaning Nigerians including (General Ali Gusau) waded in to settle this rift, but it all proved abortive as the result of interference and ill-mannered administrators of the House under the leadership of Clerk (Mahmud Aliyu) upon whom provide wrongful advice scampering through the inexperience of the House Leadership.
“The aggrieved Legislators were persuaded to withdraw their pending matters before Federal High Court Gusau and Zamfara State High Court of Justice as proposed by the Sambo committee, which they obliged in the interest of peace and harmony, but the Leadership of the State Assembly under Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki failed to play their part and refused to allow peace to reign”.
He said they have unanimously viewed the recent declaration of Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara’s(minority leader) seat vacant as null and is made on the premise of opening a new theatre of war as the Leadership realises how it was caged in a tight corner by his protest of not participating in any Legislative function until the rule of law is restored and adhered to as provided by Order X Rule 5 &6 of Zamfara State House of Assembly Standing Orders 2024 (as amended) by calling back the suspended Hon. Members in line with the subsidiary Legislation of the House.
“We condemned the act and inaction of Zamfara State House of Assembly in all its acts of disobedience to the rule of law, hypocrisy, and strangulation of democracy for selfish interest. Laws are made to be followed in total, not in selection for Machiavellian implementation by the Speaker and the Clerk as it is now in the Assembly.
“They failed to adhere to the rules and many Court pronouncements (Hon. Rifkatu v Speaker Bauchi State House of Assembly 2019 by Court of Appeal) on illegal suspension of a Member, but mischievously declared a Hon. Member’s seat vacant relying on the same legislation they failed to adhere to, very unbecoming to a Legislator. We, therefore, call to the Leadership of Zamfara State House of Assembly, Executive Governor of Zamfara State, and Political Leadership of PDP and APC in the State to act by provisions of the law, most especially Sections 90,101,104 and 107 1999 Constitution (as amended) which is in tandem with State Assembly matters respectively.
“Compliance to such Orders in the Standing Rules is mandatory to promote the rule of law and equal justice. Let all these unholy decisions be reverted for the protection of law and order, equity, justice, fair play and lawful representation in all constituencies of the State,” Kanoma added.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
