Jigawa State House of Assembly Impeaches Speaker, Elects New One

The Jigawa State House of Assembly have impeached the Speaker, Idris Garba, after resumption from the festival holidays this morning and elected Alhaji Isa Idris as the new speaker.

Garba is the third Speaker to vacate his position in recent weeks across Nigerian States after Abia and Rivers have also replaced their Speakers.

According to reports, Alhaji Hussaini Ali, the Clerk of the House had earlier announced receiving an impeachment notice signed by 25 of the 30 assembly members, and which he read on the floor of the house.

Ali disclosed that members of the assembly impeached the speaker due to alleged high handedness and abuse of power.

Presiding over the House during the impeachment process, the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Ahmed Garba, read the impeachment notice on the floor of the house attended by 23 members, and also confirmed the number of members that signed the notice.

He said 25 of the 30-member assembly that endorsed the impeachment notice showed that it met the constitutional requirement of two third to impeach any of its principal officers.

“With this development, I hereby declare the seat of the Speaker vacant and a fresh election should be conducted to elect the new speaker,” he said.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria, Alhaji Isa Dutse of Dutse Municipal constituency and Isa Idris of Gwaram constituency– were nominated for the election to replace the impeached Speaker.

Isa Idris, however, defeated Isa Dutse with 12 to six votes, while five members were indifferent.