Intrigues, Power-play As Kano Speaker Is Impeached

Thirty-two out of the 40 members of the Kano State House of Assembly yesterday closed ranks and passed a vote of no confidence on the House Speaker, Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi Falgore, which was brought before the House by Hon. Lawan Safiyanu Gogori (Bagwai Constituency).

None of the principal officers was affected in the process of change in the house, seen in some quarters as a palace coup against the executive, whose support the former speaker enjoyed. The newly elected speaker is Hon. Gambo Sallau, a one time minority leader of the House.

Falgore, was reportedly impeached by his colleagues for failing to lead the legislative House in a pragmatic and vibrant manner, a development considered by them as unacceptable.

Mover of the motion that brought to an end the six months tenure of Falgore, had told the House that while they elected him to lead a responsive House, the former speaker had failed to actualize that vision.

Reacting to allegations that it was palace coup staged by the legislators against Governor Kwankwaso, Hon. Gogori told LEADERSHIP it was in the interest of the executive to have a vibrant legislature that would impact positively on the lives of the people. “We do not see it as a coup of any sort.? Majority of us are of the PDP, just as the executives.? But all of us should be working towards discharging the mandate given to us by our constituents, and we shall be on the same page on this with the executive,” Gogori said, adding, “The former speaker was removed simply because he has failed to do the job.”

Yesterday’s proceeding of the House was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Isyaku Ali Danja [PDP Gezawa] following the absence of the speaker who was said to be on an official trip to Lagos and Abuja. The lawmakers took advantage of his absence to effect the change.

When the motion for the impeachment was read on the floor, the House was relatively calm until one of the speaker’s loyalists, Yusuf Babangida (alias Dawo-Dawo) [PDP Gwale] attempted to snatch the mace from the house resulting in pandemonium that ensued until the matter was brought under control.
Two things had earlier happened before the speaker’s fate was sealed by the legislators. The State Deputy Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje along with the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Dan Gwani had made a series of attempts to swing the tide and influence the lawmakers from carrying out their mission.

Our correspondent gathered that the deputy governor’s lobby failed to sway the lawmakers who stood their ground. However a common ground was reached between the executive and the legislators, which saw them shift some ground to accept the governor’s nominee for commissionership, Alhaji Abba Kabiru Yusuf whom the lawmakers also wanted to reject. According to an informed source, Abba would have been rejected by the lawmakers because his passage as commissioner would result in his Local Government Area, Gwale having three slots while several others are left without a single commissioner.?

As the deputy speaker presented the motion to effect the change, 32 members signed the request while six others refuse to declare their stand.

When contacted about the government’s position on the new development, the director of press to the governor, Malam Umar Saidu? Tudun Wada, told LEADERSHIP that it was democracy in action. “The government is not disturbed at all. The legislature is independent and they have the right to choose who should lead them.”? He added that, “Governor Kwankwaso remains focussed to serving the Kano people and justifying the mandate freely given to him by them.”