Two members have emerged as the speakers of the seventh Nasarawa State House of Assembly: Honourable Ibrahim Balarabe Abdulahi and Honourable Daniel Ogazi. Both are from the western zone of the state. NATHANIEL GBAORON writes on the seeming stalemate in the raging battle for the soul of the state legislature.
The inauguration of the seventh Nasarawa State House of Assembly was scheduled for Tuesday, June 6. Many had envisaged a seamless event, going by the ambience that pervaded the political circle the previous day. But there was a curious and sudden twist to the plan when the Clerk of the assembly, Mallam Ibrahim Musa announced the postponement of the exercise citing security concerns.
Security personnel barricaded the assembly, forcing the Ogazi faction and their supporters to remain within the premises till 6 pm. But, Honourable Balarabe Abdulahi and Jacob Kudu were elected as speaker and deputy respectively by 11 members at one of the state ministries and sworn in by the acting clerk of the Assembly to lead the seventh assembly. On the other hand, Ogazi and Adamu Oyanki were elected as speaker and deputy respectively by 13 members at the assembly complex located along Shandan road. Balarabe and Ogazi are both members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While Balarabe is from the Toto local government, Ogazi is from Kokona local government all from the western zone.
Since then, each of the factions has continued to claim legitimacy and control of the legislative arm of government. The fight has thrown the state into a seeming confusion, with the citizens and many observers wondering which of the factions is on the side of the law.
Honourable Balarabe Abdulahi is the immediate past speaker of the Assembly and the favoured candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He is alleged to have been hurriedly endorsed by Governor Abdullahi Sule, and the party loyalists, regardless of opponents saying that there were only 11 members in the group.
They argued that the faction holds a position that aligns with the state government’s interests, which has promised stable governance.
On the other hand is Honourable Ogazi, the former House Committee Chairman on Education and member of the APC. Ogazi’s faction, supported by 13 members, who are members from the opposition political parties, alleged that the state government planned to install a rubber-stamp speaker in the assembly. “Mr. Ogazi (APC, Kokona East) has been declared as the ‘Speaker in-Waiting’ of the seventh Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA) scheduled for inauguration Tuesday, June 06. We have the simple majority led by our leading Speaker in Waiting, Ogah Ogazi. He’s our next Speaker,” the group stated. Speaking with journalists after the sitting, Ogazi explained that all actions coming after a proclamation by Governor Abdullahi Sule and all other proceedings should take place in the hallowed chamber of the assembly, adding that anything done outside the chamber was illegal, null and void. He noted that the action of the members was contrary to Section 105 of the 1999 Constitution. “This morning, based on a motion of public importance moved by the member representing Obi II, Luka Iliya Zhekaba and seconded by Aliyu Nana representing Keffi West, members are satisfied that these 11 members erred, because what they did was contrary to Section 105 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. The members-elect are still members-elect; the House barred them from entering this premises and suspended them forthwith.
“Also, they should be prevented from parading themselves as speaker, deputy speaker and members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. Members of the public should not recognise them as honourable members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly until they avail themselves before the hallowed chamber to be properly inaugurated and actively participate in the activities and procedures of the Assembly. Today, they stand barred; they stand suspended. If they are ready to come before us, we will welcome them,” Ogazi declared. He called on Governor Sule not to recognize the Balarabe-Abdullahi-led faction even as he promised that the House under his leadership would support and cooperate with the governor to move the state to greater heights.
However, a member of the Balarabe-Abdullahi faction claimed that the position of the Ogazi camp was a joke taken too far. The member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Ogazi camp had no locus standi to take a decision on matters that affect the House, describing the actions so far taken by the camp as unholy and illegal. He called on security operatives to arrest members of the Ogazi group, saying they were constituting “nuisance to the legislative community and the state as a whole.”
Reacting to the development, some citizens of Nasarawa State took their grievances to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, demanding for the removal of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Maiyaki Baba. They accused him of conspiring with the state government to hinder the Ogazi-led faction from carrying out their legislative functions as they were blocked from entering the assembly complex again. The protesters claimed that the police actions displayed a biased approach to the ongoing tussle.
Following the festering crisis, the APC issued a stern warning to members who opposed the will of the party. The state publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Otaru Douglas, spoke on the need to uphold the wishes of the party leaders. He alleged that some external forces were behind the current situation with an intent to destabilize the state. “There seems to be no love within the ranks of the state APC, and this could be attributed to the tacit connivance of some members with the opposition elements whose aim is to destabilise the state. The party strongly condemned such rebellious behaviour and warned that it would no longer tolerate acts that bring disrepute to its name,” Otaru warned.
Governor Sule has also spoken on the crisis, affirming his support for the Balarabe-Abdullahi camp. He stated: “l will only recognise the Speaker sworn-in by the Clerk of Assembly. l have a preference, but it’s not compulsory. My choice is the person I have worked with for the last four years because I have worked with him. I met him as a speaker. I worked with him, and we had a very peaceful state. Nasarawa State is considered one of the most peaceful states, and it’s because of the kind of relationship I have with him. It is the same thing with the Chief Judge (CJ). I have a wonderful relationship with the CJ. The three arms of government in Nasarawa State have an excellent working relationship.
“Politicians can sometimes create big things out of nothing. These two gentlemen that we are talking about, who are contesting against each other, are the best of friends. But I do the best I can to stay away. If you agree with me, I would prefer to continue with this person, but I am not imposing him on you. I think executives have such rights as human beings. As a governor, I am also an indigene of Nasarawa State. I have the right to say I prefer this rather than that; I want this other than that, especially in a situation where I will be the one to work with the people. So, I can say, based on what I know about you, I prefer this person to that. I have a choice. I am a human being, but it’s not compulsory.”
On why he preferred to work with Balarabe-Abdullahi, the governor noted that he had been able to keep the House calm as a result of his maturity. He added: “He has the respect of most of the members. Like today, we have 11 members of the Assembly that are APC. Eight were with him in this same exercise that we are talking about. “Before I had my preference, I had a discussion with the party and the party also choose him and said that he is the right person that we want. l consulted also with some of the major stakeholders in the state, and they said he is the right person. I didn’t just jump up and say this is the person I want; I made consultations. Then we called all the legislators from our party and told them this is who we want to be speaker and we want them to support him. First, I never wanted to get involved in their arguments about who does what or the other. But let us look at the legitimacy of swearing-in. Who do you want me to recognise? The one sworn-in by the Clerk or the one sworn-in by only God knows who?”
LP sues for peace
The Nasarawa State chapter of the Labour Party LP, has called for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing crisis in the State House of Assembly. The state LP chairman, Alexander Ombugu, said failure of members of the assembly to resolve the issue amicably could lead to violence among supporters of the political groups. He urged security agencies to deploy their men across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order. He said, “The ongoing leadership crisis at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly is very unfortunate. The 24 members-elect had the opportunity to address issues before the day of the Speakership election but they did not do the needful. My appeal on the matter is that they should remember that we do not have any other state apart from Nasarawa State, so they should put aside their differences and settle the matter amicably so that residents of the state can continue to live in peace and unity.
I urge the security agencies to also be on alert at a time like this. They should deploy adequate operatives across the state to tackle any form of political violence that may arise as a result of the disagreements.”
Analysts have raised concerns about the legality of both factions, arguing that neither possesses the necessary two-thirds majority of members to be sworn in as the Speaker. They point to the altered electoral law, signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, which states that 2/3 of 24 members is 16; neither of the two factions has got that number. The legal issue surrounding the Speakership position further complicates situation in the state. It raises questions about the rule of law, democratic principles, and the ability of the Assembly to effectively govern and address the needs of the state’s citizens.
As the case proceeds in both the Nasarawa State High Court and the Federal High Court in Abuja, the fate of the Speakership position and the political landscape of the state hang in the balance. It remains to be seen how the courts will interpret the law but considering the snail speed Nigeria courts handle cases, is there end of the leadership tussle in sight? Time shall tell.
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