TheCable

The Kano state house of assembly, on Tuesday, removed two of its principal officers even as the police prevented 24 legislators from entering into the complex. 

Alhassan Rurum, spokesman of the legislators and former speaker of the house, announced the decision of the members while addressing journalists outside the assembly complex.

Labaran  Madari, the chief whip and Muhammad Butu-Butu, deputy majority leader, were removed to pave way for the impeachment of Yusuf Ata, the speaker.

The situation made Rurum to engage the security agents in an argument.

This got Rabiu Yusuf, the commissioner of police involved. Yusuf, through a telephone conversation with the former speaker, instructed the security men to allow the members address the press outside the assembly complex.

“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,” he said.  

“We have therefore replaced them with the following members of the house; Abdullahi  Yaryasa, as chief whip, while Ayuba Durum as new deputy majority whip. 

“We also reaffirmed the appointment of Abdulaziz Gafasa to continue as the majority leader and made Kabiru Dashi to be deputy majority leader.” 

According to Rurum, “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 were allegations leveled against me when I was a speaker which led to my honorable resignation to enable the house carry out its 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. We have gathered here today, but as you can see the assembly complex is being 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 assembly to do that, so far so good, we have 24 members who have endorsed 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 Labaran Abdul as the chief whip of the assembly, as well as Muhammad Butu-butu, deputy majority leader.

“And we have unanimously agreed that Abdullahi Yaryasa, assume the seat of the chief whip, while Ayuba Labaran from Kabo is to act as the new deputy majority whip, Abdulaziz Garba, former speaker, to continue as the majority leader while  Kabiru Dashi Kiru is now the deputy majority leader.”