The impeachment process for the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Dangyatin, is intensifying as members of the state’s Assembly proceed with the process.
Reports from the state indicate that the impeachment process was initiated and commenced in the absence of the speaker, who had travelled with the state governor, Malam Umar Namadi, to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj.
Tribune Online gathered that lawmakers have begun signing the removal notice for the speaker, starting late on Monday and continuing on Tuesday at undisclosed locations.
The house is currently on recess for several weeks, while the speaker is accompanying the state governor, Malam Umar Namadi, in Saudi Arabia since last week.
Reports from the state also indicate that heavy security personnel from the police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) have been deployed in large numbers. They have reinforced the initial security and taken over the Assembly building.
Speaking with our reporter in the state, one of the legislators who wished to remain anonymous said, “As I’m talking to you now, we are about to gather the required number of members to impeach him.”
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“About 17 members signed the removal letter. Hopefully, in very little time, the required number would be achieved going by the concrete arrangements and contact is been made by perforators”, a source confirmed to Nigerian Tribune.
The lawmaker further alleged that members of the state assembly were dissatisfied with the transparency and accountability of the house’s finances.
The anonymous lawmaker stated, “The members have many questions for the speaker to answer, but he ignored us and refused to address our concerns. Many of us are unhappy with the way the speaker is running the affairs of the house and how he often prioritizes executive matters over those of the house.”
Efforts to contact the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Honourable Ibrahim Hashimu Kanya, through his mobile telephone were unsuccessful as his number was switched off, and a text message sent to him remained unanswered at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Jigawa State Command, DSP Lawal Shi’isu Adam, stated, “We received intelligence reports suggesting a potential disruption of public peace in the state.”
