The Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, was impeached yesterday because of alleged incompetence and other sundry offences.
There was an attempt to remove him two months ago but he escaped the noose.
Ata who is in the good books of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, was replaced by Alhaji Kabiru Alhassan Rurum who resigned as speaker over a year ago over corruption allegations.
It was difficult to establish a relationship between what transpired at the Kano Assembly yesterday and the last week’s defection of a former governor of the State, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, who dumped the APC for the PDP.
Twenty-seven of the 40 lawmakers of the house endorsed Ata’s impeachment at yesterday’s plenary.
Kwankwaso had about six loyal lawmakers in the assembly but they were yet to defect from the APC.
Engineer Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari was elected as deputy speaker and Alhaji Baffa Babba Danagundi as majority leader.
Other elected principal officers were Alhaji Kabiru Hassan Dashi as deputy majority leader and Alhaji Labaran Abdul Madari as chief whip of the house.
Moving the impeachment motion, Alhaji Labaran Abdu Madari told the house that 27 lawmakers deemed it necessary to impeach the speaker due to “incompetency in running the affairs of the house since he assumed office.”
The motion was seconded by Alhaji Abdullahi Iliyasu Yaryasa from Tudun Wada Local Government.
The new speaker, Rurum and his deputy were sworn in shortly after the impeachment of Ata.
Ata was not in the chamber when the impeachment processes commenced on the floor of the house. He arrived at the house while the new speaker was administered with oath of office.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the preliminary, the new Majority Leader of the house, Baffa Babba Danagundi, said Ata was removed for incompetence, misappropriation of public funds and inability to carry other principal officers along.
Danagundi said: “When the allegations against Ata were tabled before us, we asked Ata to borrow a leaf from Rurum by stepping aside from his position but he refused and that warranted his ouster.”
Internal democracy at work- Ganduje
Governor Ganduje has described the change of leadership in the Kano Assembly as internal democracy at work.
Speaking when he received the new leadership of the house at Government House in Kano, Ganduje said the change had proven that Kano State was committed to internal democracy.
“It is indeed a smooth change; as veteran on legislative issues, I know this will further strengthen our internal democracy,” he noted.
He also advised the new leadership of the house to carry everybody along, saying, “I am advising you to ensure that there should be no faction in the House.”
