Impeachment fever grips Jigawa assembly speaker
A purported plan headed by a prominent Senator among other political heavyweights of the ruling APC Jigawa Chapter to unseat the Speaker, Jigawa State House of Assembly, Honourable Idris Garba (Representing Jahun Constituency) is gaining momentum.
The Senator was accused of financing and sponsoring a smear campaign of calumny to destroy the Speaker’s reputation and plot his removal from office because of 2023 political aspiration, according to sources.
It gathered that the Senator who is nurturing the ambition of becoming next Governor of the state in 2023 was making frantic efforts to destroy the reputation of the Speaker by coercing some members of the state House of Assembly to commence the impeachment process of the Speaker after failing to convince the Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar to bless his motives some few weeks ago.
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A recent meeting with some APC stakeholders from his senatorial zone, held at his residence according to a member who preferred not to be named, confirmed that the Senator threaten openly to remove the Speaker from office after his failure to coerce him in accepting Greek gifts for automatic support as the only qualified person to take over after Governor Badaru’s tenure end in 2023.
According to many political pundits, the Speaker is seen as a die-hard supporter of Governor Badaru that will never give his endorsement for any political class in the state.
Impeccable sources confirmed that the hatchet job of the planned impeachment has reached an advanced stage with a member from Ringim Constituency, Honourable Aminu Sule Sankara allegedly spearheading and recruiting members of the state house of assembly for endorsement of this job on behalf of the Senator.
Reacting to the allegation, Honourable Aminu Sule Sankara denied knowledge of any move to impeach the Speaker. He added that he is not aware of any plan to unseat the Speaker, Honourable Idris Garba Kareka.
“Honestly, what you are asking me is even news to me as I am not aware of any such move by any group,’’ Sankara said.
It was however gathered that the Senator in the middle of this crisis is looking at the Speaker as a threat because of his independent-minded views, loyalty and support enjoyed from the governor and being a trusted ally who is expected to be part of the deciding factors of who becomes next governor after Badaru.
Contacted, the House Committee Chairman on Information, Honourable Mohammed Adamu representing Kafin Hausa Constituency, has debunked and described such move as misleading and unfounded.
“In my regard as House Committee Chairman on Information, the said news on the planned move to impeach our Speaker was fake as there wasn’t anything of such nature. Describing such a scenario as fabrication, adding the content of such information was fake and misinformed”.
Another member of the Jigawa State House of Assembly who confided with this newspaper said, already Governor Badaru has bluntly rejected this plot and expressed his support to the Speaker.
According to a source who attended the meeting a few days ago at the Senator’s residence, testified that there are indications of nominating two names, Musa Suleiman from Dutse constituency or Honourable Isah Idris Gwaram as a replacement for the Speaker after the impeachment.
The Special Adviser, Media and Public Relations to Jigawa State Governor, Habibu Nuhu Kila told newsmen that Governor Badaru is unaware of the purported plan to impeach the Speaker from his seat.
According to Kila: “To the best of my knowledge, Governor Muhammadu Badaru is not aware of this, as he so much believes in the rule of law and separation of powers.
“The governor does not interfere with the legislative and judicial arms of the government in any way and that is why the state is enjoying a relative peace even in governance”.
