From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
A major political crisis has hit the Niger State House of Assembly, forcing an abrupt and indefinite suspension of legislative sittings on Tuesday following unresolved disputes with the state’s executive arm.
The trouble began shortly after the commencement of plenary when Mohammed Abubakar Kabir Ustaz, the lawmaker representing Chanchaga constituency, moved a motion demanding that all legislative proceedings be stood down immediately.
Ustaz argued that the House could no longer ignore its pending grievances with the executive arm, warning his colleagues that prosperity would judge them harshly if they swept these critical issues under the carpet.
“We must stop sending the wrong signal to upcoming legislators and avoid being seen as betraying the reputation built by our predecessors,” Ustaz declared.
While the lawmaker was blocked from publicly itemizing the specific “unresolved issues” on the floor, his motion was immediately seconded by Abdulrahman Gambo (Borgu constituency).
However, Jibrin Ndagi Baba (Lavun constituency) countered the motion, arguing that since the House had already reconvened for the day’s business, the plenary should proceed.
However , the conflicting viewpoints quickly degenerated into a rowdy session, with a majority of the lawmakers shouting down opponents and insisting that no legislative business would take place.
In an effort to restore order, Speaker Abdulmalik Sarkindaji intervened, pleading with the lawmakers to exercise maturity and respect opposing views.
With the chamber deadlocked, the Speaker subjected the motion to a vote.
The lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of suspending the plenary indefinitely.
Following the vote, the House abruptly ended its public sitting and retired into a closed-door executive session.
Lawmakers stated that the assembly would remain shut until its grievances were fully addressed and its official position was communicated to the executive arm.
Though the House has withheld the exact nature of the dispute, political observers note that the crisis comes on the heels of highly fractious party primaries.
Out of the 26 ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the Assembly, only 12 managed to secure return tickets through a controversial consensus arrangement, fueling severe internal resentment against the executive leadership.
