Zamfara Assembly Sacks Five Councillors For Defecting To PDP

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has endorsed the impeachment of five legislators in the state who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The endorsement was done at the plenary on Wednesday, presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Sunusi Rikiji, following a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the assembly, Alhaji Salisu Tsafe.

Tsafe, while moving the motion, urged the assembly to declare the seats of the defected councillors vacant, based on the resolutions of the local government councils of the defecting councillors.

The councillors, who announced their decision in September, are Basiru Mainasara, Tudunwada Ward; and Nasiru Dagaji, Mayana Ward; Musa Muhammad, Nasarawa Ward; Aminu Muhammad, Yashi Ward and Bakwai Tsafe, Tsafe Ward.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Majority Leader of the assembly, in his submission, said the assembly received a letter from the councils of the affected councillors that they had impeached the defectors in a decision forwarded to the assembly.

He called on the assembly to declare their offices vacant, considering the reasons contained in the resolutions made available to it.

Seconding the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Muhammad Gummi, said the local government lawmakers were allowed to change the party or resign whenever they wished, according to the local government laws.

Speaking on the motion, the Speaker said according to the local government laws of the state, the lawmakers had the right to defect or to resign their appointments.

Rikiji further said the assembly had agreed and confirmed the resolutions on the defectors and declared  their seats vacant.

He therefore, directed the state Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to stop all their salaries, allowances and other entitlements with immidiate effect.
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Reacting on the issue, the Chairman of the state Councillors’ Forum and one of the defectors, Alhaji Nasiru Dagaji, dismissed the resolution and described it as unconstitutional.

Dagaji said they were still on their positions as councillors because they only defected from APC to PDP, and “we served our letters of decamping to our local government councils.”
He, however, said they did not resign their positions as elected councillors and ” we will continue to occupy the positions as stipulated by law”.

He further said any move from any quarters to remove them from office would be challenged in a courhttp://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/zamfara-assembly-confirms-sacking-five-councillors-for-defecting-to-pdp/191999/