The Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Alhaji Mu’azu Gangara, has been removed from office by 19 out of the 34-member legislature.
The 19 members took the action on Tuesday during a sitting in which both the speaker and his deputy, Mr Dogara Matoh, were absent.
The lawmakers, headed by Mr Phelimon Gidanmana (PDP-Makera), also announced the appointment of Alhaji Shehu Tahir (PDP-Giwa West), as the new Speaker.
Attempts to remove the speaker had been on since August, forcing the House leadership to agree to a 30-day ultimatum within which to change its style of leadership to accommodate all members.
The ultimatum had expired on Sept. 14, and the aggrieved members said there had been no changes since the deadline.
The motion for the removal of the speaker, tabled by Gidanmana and seconded by Yakubu Soja (APC-Zaria Kewaye), was unanimously adopted by the members.
In his acceptance speech, the new speaker said the task before him was to reinvigorate the assembly for maximum result.
He pledged to guide the House into making laws that would promote “peace, unity and good governance in the state”.
While pledging to work closely with the executive and the judiciary, Tahir said the members would also perform their oversight responsibilities with diligence.
