- * As Gov Abdullahi Sule Approves Re-appointment Of The SSG, Aliyu Ubandoma.
By David Okpashi (Nasarawa State Correspondent, in Lafia)
As crisis continue to rock the Nasarawa State House of Assembly over leadership elections, two speakers, on Tuesday, emerged amidst leadership crisis in the S Assembly.
The two speakers include the immediate past speaker, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi and Hon. Daniel Ogah Ogazi representing Kokona East constituency.
The election which saw the former speaker emerge as new 7th Assembly speaker, took place at the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs while Daniel Ogar Ogazi emerged as speaker from the proceeding at the State Assembly complex.
Hon Muhammadu Adamu Oyanki also emerged as the Deputy speaker.
Speaking shortly after being elected as the speaker at the Assembly complex, Hon. Daniel Oga Ogazi, said his election was a new down that would give Nasarawa state a new political direction.
The newly elected speaker who represent Okokona East in the State House of Assembly appreciated his colleagues for the mandate and the people of Nasarawa State promising to provide an inclusive leadership that will usher in a new dawn in the history of legislative business in the state.
"Im so delighted and thankful to God Almighty for giving me this opportunity to be elected as the speaker Nasarawa State house of Assembly.
"I want to also thank my colleagues for the confidence reposed in me. I will not disappoint them and the people of the state. We are going to work with the executive and the judiciary to take the state to the next level of development.
"I therefore call on the people of the state not to relent in their prayers and support to enable us succeed. Thank you very much for electing me as speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly to pilot the affairs of the State House of Assembly for the next four years in the 7th session".
On his part, Rt Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, was re-elected as Speaker of the 7th Assembly by 11 members-elect with Hon Jecob Kudu of Nasarawa Eggon East elected Deputy Speaker.
Abdullahi was nominated by Muhammed Adamu Omadefu of Keana Constituency and seconded by Danladi Jatau of Kokona West.
The Acting Clerk of the House, Ibrahim Musa administered the oath of office.
Speaking after he was sworn in, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, assure the lawmakers of quality leadership in the next four years.
According to the former speaker, lawmaking will see a new direction that would impact positively on the lives of the people of the state. He said under his leadership as the speaker, the relationship that had existed between the three arms would be strengthen for the overall benefit of the state.
With the confusion in Nasarawa Assembly over leadership crisis involving two emergent group, governor Abdulahi Sule suspended the proposed Tuesday inauguration/proclamation of the 7th Assembly over alleged security threat at the parliamentary complex of the state Assembly.
Governor Sule, in a statement by the acting Clerk of the Assembly, Ibrahim Musa, said the suspension of the Assembly's inaguration was due to the security advice issued to him.
According to the statement, "The Acting Clerk, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Musa, wish to inform all Hon. Members - elect and the General public that based on Security advice the scheduled inauguration of the first session of the 7th Assembly as directed by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, is hereby postponed.
"In view of the above, a re-scheduled time will be communicated to all Hon. Members - elect and the general public. We regret any inconveniences this postponement may have caused", the statement said.
Meanwhile, confusion, mal-drama reigned on tuesday morning, following the leadership crisis that has been going on in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly as a result of the alleged support by governor Sule for the incumbent speaker, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, against the interest of the minority Assembly members.
When NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper Correspondent that visited the Assembly Complex on Tuesday morning, it was gathered that 13 out of the 24 members ( majority) who are allegedly opposing the governor's interference and support for the speaker were at the gate of the Assembly as early as 3am ahead of the planned inaguration.
It was learnt that the majority members took the decision to occupy the Assembly gate to stop the planned inaguration without them.
NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Correspondent further gathered that there was arrangements for the minority 11 members to gathered in the Assembly by 4am ahead of the inauguration slated for 10am. This arrangement was to shut out the majority members who are against the governor's perceived speaker.
One of the lawmakers who spoke to NEWSLEADER Correspondent and did not want his name mentioned that they got wind of the plan to shut them out from the proclamation and decided to come to the Assembly by 4am and we're denied entrance into the Assembly complex by the security agencies.
"We have been here since 3am because we understood the governor and his cohorts had plan to luck us out to enable them carry out the proclamation and conduct election to elect the leadership of the House without us and against the interest of the Nasarawa people.
"We had earlier pleaded with the governor to allow democratic system work out in Nasarawa State House of Assembly but governor Abdullahi Sule is insisting on planting his candidate against the interest of the majority of the members in the house. We will not leave this Assembly gate until democracy is allowed to take place", the lawmaker vowed.
Recall that several interest groups including the APC youths had earlier addressed press conferences to appeal to governor Sule to allow the State House of Assembly handle it's affairs internally without external interference.
Recently some of the groups accused Governor Abdullahi Sule of encouraging political crisis in the Nasarawa state as well as vowing to resist the move to manipulate the State Assembly. They warns against impending crisis in the state
Also, the Coalition of Kwararafa Development Network and Nasarawa State Coalition for justice, last Sunday, accused governor Sule of interference and instigating the crisis in the state parliament.
The coalition in a press conference address by its Chairman, Comrade James Allu, warned the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, to stay clear of the Assembly's election to avoid crisis situation in the state
The Kwararafa Development Network and Nasarawa coalition for Justice, a pressure group, accused the state governor and his cohorts against action that could threaten the peace of the state.
According to the coalition, the election of the Nasarawa State Assembly speakership and other principal officers was an in-house matter that ought to be conducted devoid of the interference of the governor and his agents.
The Coalition alleged that politicians and government agents were going about intimidating and inducing members-elect with money to sway their interest in the election of speaker and other principal officers.
Allu said the act of the power that be amounts to subversion and a clear violation of democratic process, noting that it also as good as an assault on the rule of law.
"We are deeply concerned about the reported plan to use the security personnel and money bag politicians from the Governor's camp and his agents to intimidate and subdue House members-elect.
"This report bears a semblance of what transpired during the gubernatorial election, a clear violation of the democratic process and assault on the rule of law and the will of the people of Nasarawa state," he stated
According to Allu, the press conference became necessary to let the world and promoters of democracy in Nigeria know about the plan by governor Sule to use security personnel to disrupt the speakership election of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.
"I invite you to this press conference to draw the attention of the people of good will and the international community to the undemocratic action being unleashed in Nasarawa State by governor Sule and his cohorts. We chose today (Sunday) to call for this urgent press conference to alert the world and most of all, promoters of democracy in Nigeria about the plans to use the security personnel again.
"This action will be another attempt to violate the democratic process and undermine the will of the people to be expressed through our elected members who are planning to conduct their internal affairs of electing it's principal officers," the Coalition said.
It cautioned all the government agents going round and threatening the state lawmakers-elect to do the Governor's bidding to have a rethink as it would do them no good in electing 'rubber stamp speaker'.
The Coalition therefore called on the civil society organisations and human rights groups to monitor the situation in Nasarawa State to avoid unhealthy situation in the state .
"While we remain committed to upholding the principles of democracy, we will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect the democratic process in Nasarawa State. No amount of intimidation will deter us from doing what we believe is right and within democratic norms".
In the same vein, Gov Abdullahi Sule, has approved the re-appointment of the Secretary to State Government, Aliyu Ubandoma.
The governor had approved the appointment of some of his aides which includes 6 Senior Special Assistants-SSA, 11 Special Assistants-SA's and 11 Personal Assistant- PA's. NNL.
