Muhammad Alabira Nabordo
A power struggle has erupted in Garki Local Government Council in Jigawa State, with some councillors accusing the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, of violating the constitution and Supreme Court rules on local government autonomy.
The councillors alleged that Dangyatin interfered with their internal affairs and forced them to reinstate an impeached Council’s speaker despite their constitutional decision to remove him.
The councillors, who spoke to Nigerian Times Online on condition of anonymity over the weekend, described the speaker’s actions as a serious threat to democracy and a clear contravention of the Nigerian constitution.
They claimed that they had constitutionally removed the speaker of the Garki local government council, Honourable Jamilu Adamu, due to alleged misconduct, including neglecting legislative duties and allowing the council chairman to dominate the legislative process.
However, in a surprising turn of events, the Jigawa State House of Assembly quashed the impeachment of the Garki local government council’s speaker on Friday.
The Chairman House Committee on Information, Honourable Ibrahim Hashimu Kanya, stated that the councillors’ impeachment was not in order and contravened the law.
Kanya advised the councillors to consult the state House of Assembly before taking such decisions.
A prominent lawyer, Barrister Baffa Alhassan, weighed in on the matter, citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on local government autonomy.
According to Alhassan, the Jigawa State House of Assembly has no power to interfere with local government council finances and administration, and it is the sole responsibility of the councillors to remove their speaker or council chairman if found guilty of impeachable offenses.
