Plot to Impeach Speaker Thickens in Bauchi Assembly
POLITICS DIGEST – There are indications that majority members of Bauchi State House of Assembly are keen on reversing the election of their Speaker, Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, through the window provided by the absence of Governor Bala Mohammed, who has been quarantined after testing positive to the highly contagious Coronavirus.
At the inception of the present dispensation on May 29, 2019, Bauchi and Edo States’ Houses of Assembly were embroiled in intense crises following schemes by their governors to have a say on who emerge as Speakers and presiding officers of the legislatures.
In Edo State, both the governor and the 24 members-elect belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in contrast to the situation in Bauchi, where APC was in the majority, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which won the governorship, had only eight lawmakers out of the 31-member legislative arm.
The Bauchi State House of Assembly (BSHA) comprises 22 APC, eight PDP and one New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) lawmakers. It was based on this lopsided distribution of membership along party lines that the 9th Bauchi House of Assembly took off on a controversial note.
Suleiman, though a member of APC, secured the support of his eight PDP colleagues alongside the endorsement of the executive arm, led by Governor Mohammed, who was an erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to emerge as Speaker. After the initial misgivings, the APC, after its defeat on the inauguration day, June 20, 2019, forlornly and bitterly accepted Suleiman’s election by 13 members out of the 31 lawmakers, which did not receive the blessing of the party’s majority caucus.
After the crisis that ensued lasted FOR 42 days, the aggrieved APC majority lawmakers reluctantly agreed to sheathe their swords. But, eight months after leading the Assembly, Suleiman is now facing a fresh threat of impeachment by his APC colleagues, who accuse him of being more PDP than APC as well as being unduly subservient to Governor Mohammed.
A reliable source in the House confided in The Guardian how plans are at advanced stage to dislodge the Speaker and put Governor Mohammad under intense pressure. He disclosed that there was instruction from the camp of the former Governor Abubakar to change the Assembly’s leadership that could play strong opposition to Mohammed’s policies. It was also learnt that the move to effect a change in the Assembly’s leadership is ostensibly to halt the probe of former Governor Abubakar after he was indicted by an Asset Recovery Panel for alleged corruption.
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“What exacerbated this move is the report of the Assets Recovery Committee,” the source said. “The former governor, Abubakar, is looking for support of the lawmakers since they control the Assembly. If there is change of leadership, they can force the governor to do some things,” added that some PDP members in the House are also lamenting being sidelined and that could be an advantage to their calculation.
It was gathered that APC lawmakers plan to reconvene tomorrow, Tuesday, 24 March, to remove Speaker Suleiman pending the attainment of adequate number of signatories to ensure the two-third constitutional mark. As at the time of filing this report, the protagonists are still on door-to-door appeal for support at different locations of lawmakers across different local councils. He said baring last minute disruptions, the removal might even take place today, Monday, March 30.
Another source among the aggrieved members who craved anonymity said, “Yes, we met in Gombe with our colleagues, where we attended a wedding ceremony of a friend to former Governor Abubakar. We spoke about so many issues bothering the leadership of the House.
“At the meeting, some of us agreed to change the Speaker, though he was not there (in Gombe). Honestly, I don’t have any grouse against the Speaker; he’s been doing well, and he carries everyone along. But some of our colleagues don’t really want him in that seat, being a first timer lawmaker.
“The plan is on to get the support of NNPP colleague to sign, though he’s been approached but he was skeptical at first and after so much pressure he has agreed to join forces.”
On Saturday 21, when Governor Mohammad flagged off construction of a 2,500 housing units, it was reported that the lawmakers invited to the event, APC members, except the Speaker, shunned the ceremony to attend the Gombe wedding which the governor was unhappy about, and reportedly described them as not having the state at heart. Mohammed also felt being insulted and not being regarded as the governor of the state.
This time, the Speaker might not find the game easy. He was elected by eight PDP members, with only two APC lawmakers from his party and the lone NNPP colleague —that made it 11, although the Speaker said two other APC lawmakers later joined his camp. This time, it was gathered that the two APC lawmakers no longer with him but also wanted him pulled down.
The Speaker has also intensified efforts to retain his seat, as he has been reaching out to colleagues but the highest bidder might win the tussle. His ‘sin’ bothers on his loyalty to Governor Mohammed, which the lawmakers said is not yielding ‘fruitful benefits’ for the legislature.
According to the source, the plan is to utilise the period when the governor is undergoing treatment following his testing positive to the deadly Coronvirus. He said the deputy speaker, according to the plan, would also be removed.
“The calculation is that the majority leader, Hon. Tijjani Aliyu, representing Azare, should be made speaker, Tukur Ibrahim from Toro as deputy speaker while Musa Ahmad from Bauchi will be majority leader,” he added.
