Jigawa State House of Assembly members have impeached the speaker of the state Assembly, Idris Garba and replaced and elected Isa Idris as the new speaker.
The clerk of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Hussaini Ali announced on Tuesday morning that he received an impeachment notice signed by 25 of the 30-member house, and which he read on the floor of the house.
The clerk disclosed that members of the Assembly impeached the speaker due to alleged high-handedness and abuse of power.
The Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Garba announced that 25 of the 30-member assembly that endorsed the impeachment notice showed that a constitutional requirement of two-third majority needed to carry out the impeachment any of its erring principal officers had been met.
“With this development, I at this moment declare the seat of the Speaker vacant and a fresh election should be conducted to elect the new speaker,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker read the impeachment notice on the floor of the house and confirmed the number of members that signed the notice by taking a voice vote.
Isa Idris of Gwaram constituency was promptly elected as the new speaker.
In his acceptance speech, the new Speaker promised to run an open door policy and solicited members support and cooperation.
Note: An earlier version of this article contained a photograph of Abdullahi Idris Garba, a member of the federal House of Representatives. The impeached Jigawa State House of Assembly Speaker is a different Idris Garba.
