The move by the Kano State House of Assembly to impeach the speaker, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata on Tuesday failed to be actualized, as 24 aggrieved members could not meet the required 27 signatories to form the 2/3 majority to impeach the speaker.
However, the 24 aggrieved members of the State Assembly, who stormed the assembly complex to announce the immediate removal of two principal officers, the chief whip, Hon. Labaran Abdul Madari (warawa constituency) and deputy majority leader, Hon. Muhammad Bello Butu-Butu (Rimin Gado/Tofa constitutency), to pave way for the eventual impeachment of the speaker, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata.
The state house of assembly which is still under siege, when the convoy of the members, led by the former speaker, Alhassan Rurum arrived at about 11:00 am, swung into action in their attempt to gain entrance into the complex, but were barred from gaining access by stern-looking security operatives.
The situation prompted the former speaker, Rurum who engaged the security agents in an argument over why they would be barred from performing their constitutional rights of sitting.
An argument then ensued, in which the commissioner of police, through a telephone conversation with the former speaker, instructed the security men to allow the members to address the press outside the assembly complex.
The spokesperson of the aggrieved members Alhassan Rurum, said “we are still gathering momentum in ensuring that we get the required members as such ‘no retreat no surrender’.
“We have removed the two principal officers, that is the chief whip and the deputy majority leader. We have gotten the required number of signatories, 24, to that effect as such we have simple majority.”
“We have therefore replaced them with the following members of the House, Hon. Abdullahi Iliyasu Yaryasa (Tudun Wada Constituency) as chief whip, while Hon. Ayuba Labaran Durum (Kabo constituency) as new deputy majority whip.
“We also reaffirmed the appointment of Hon. Abdulaziz Garba Gafasa (Ajingi constituency) to continue as the majority leader and made Hon Kabiru Dashi to be deputy majority leader.”
According to the spokesperson, “as law abiding citizens and the representatives of the people of Kano State, we have gathered here to do what we deemed necessary to remove the speaker of the House. You would recall that there was allegations leveled against me when I was a speaker which led to my honorable resignation to enable the House carry out it’s investigations.
“That led to the emergence of Atta as the new speaker. And recently there have been calls for the impeachment of Atta as the speaker. These we have gathered here today, but as you can see the assembly complex is been barricaded by the Police and men of the civil defense Corps.
“To impeach the speaker, we need 27 out of the 40 members of the House of the assembly to do that, so far so good, we have 24 members whom have endorsed for the impeachment of the speaker. That is below the number needed but with that number we can impeach other Principal officers and we hereby announce the impeachment of the Honorable Labaran Abdul representing Warawa constituency as the chief whip of the assembly, as well as honorable Muhammad Bello Butu-butu, deputy majority leader and honorable Iliyasu.
“And we have unanimously agreed that Honorable Abudullahi Iliyasu Riyasa of Tudun Wada assume the seat of the chief whip while Ayuba Labaran from Kabo is to act as the new Deputy Majority Whip, Right Honorable Abdulaziz Garba former speaker to continue as the majority leader while honorable Kabiru Dashi Kiru is now the Deputy majority leader.
“Although we are not in the assembly complex, but we are within its premises. As law abiding citizens we won’t engage the security men. The speaker Abdullahi Atta came into the assembly last night and took away the Mace. But that wouldn’t stop us from carrying out our statutory duties as you can see we have provided another Mace”.
It could be recalled that the embattled speaker has been accused of incompetence, financial embezzlement and localizing the proceedings of the Assembly as well as not carrying other members along.