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Indications are rife that the ruling PDP in Bauchi state may have jettisoned the zoning formula in its bid to ensure that whoever emerged new Speaker of the State House of Assembly is someone the party can rely on and direct anyhow.The Governor, Isa Yuguda is also insisting that he must have his way in the ‘selection’ of the new number three man in the state.
Three weeks after it sacked the former Deputy Governor, Garba Muhammad Gadi and installed its former Speaker, Babayo Garba Gamawa as his replacement the lawmakers have been unable to sit and conduct legislative duties. This has resulted in members of the public speculating on what has become of the members. While the House is rooting for a one-time Speaker of the House at the inception of the Isa Yuguda led administration,Haliru Dauda Jika, the Executive arm is said to be looking at the direction of the incumbent Majority Leader, Dayyabu Chiroma in a move many believed to be aimed at perhaps compensating him for the role he played in perfecting the removal of the former Deputy Governor and the installation of the former Speaker, Babayo Garba Gamawa in his place.
Suspecting members of the public have since started to insinuate that the inability of the House to meet and transact legislative business is due to the sharp division among the hierarchy of the ruling PDP in the state which has polarized it. The position of the Speaker was zoned to Central Senatorial Zone in order to balance the power equation between the South and North Senatorial zones which have the Governor and Deputy Governor respectively.
The recent interest shown by other candidates from the other zone seem to suggest that the party hierarchy has jettisoned the zoning arrangement as for instance, a one-time Speaker during the eight years of Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, Auwal Jatau and Abubakar Ahmed Faggo both from the Northern Zone have also signified their interests to contest the position.
But in a reaction to the insinuations going round, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Musa Mohammed Pali, has given reasons why the House has not met several weeks after the last adjournment following the removal and selection of Deputy Governor saying that, “the required majority of the members needed to form a quorum will not be gotten as 60% of the members are on committee assignments”.
Speaking further Musa Mohammed Pali added that, “the situation was informed by the need for all committees to speed up their work before the commencement of the next recess period which is expected next week”.
According to the Deputy Speaker,“reports on the failure of the House of Assembly to sit and elect a new speaker were mere speculations as many of the reports relied on mere hearsays", adding that the election of a new Speaker is a simple issue that does not require more than 30 minutes to conduct.
He then expressed appreciation for the numerous support given to the House at its difficult time noting that the House would continue to deliberate on issues and policies that would bring about development to the state.
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