The election of the new speaker also maintained the APC zoning arrangement in the state with the speaker from Miga Local Government in the South-west district of the state
The members of the 8th Jigawa State House of Assembly on Wednesday elected Haruna Aliyu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the new speaker of the assembly.
The lawmakers also elected Sani Isyaku, from Gumel constituency, as the deputy speaker. The election was conducted during the inauguration of the new assembly members.
The election kicked off after the member representing Mallamadori Constituency, Hamza Ibrahim, nominated Mr Aliyu for the speakership position.
He was seconded by Muhammed Ibrahim, a member representing Birnin Kudu Constituency.
Both the speaker and his deputy, who were elected unopposed, were sworn in by the Clerk of the House, Musa Abubakar.
The election of the new speaker also maintained the APC zoning arrangement in the state with the speaker from Miga Local Government Area of the South-west district, the governor, Umar Namadi, and his deputy, Aminu Usman, came from Jigawa's northeast and North-west senatorial districts, respectively.
However, the lawmakers went against the direction of the leadership of the party in the state, who had endorsed the immediate past speaker, Idris Garba, to be reelected as the speaker.
After the inauguration of the eighth Assembly, the new speaker adjourned the sitting to 23 June without electing other new principal officers.
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The position of the majority leader of the house and the Chip Whip was also reportedly nominated by the APC leadership.
The state APC Chairman, Aminu Sani, did not attend the inauguration of the assembly.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how some members of APC from Jahun Local Government Area staged a protest at the Jigawa State House of Assembly over the nomination of Mr Garba as the new speaker for the house.
The protesters barricaded the entrance to the complex, demanding that the speakership of the house should be given to a new person, not Mr Garba, who was the immediate past speaker of the house.
Mr Garba was the speaker for seven years.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the lawmakers objected to Mr Garba's leadership and opted for Mr Aliyu in their quest for new leadership and the overall interest of top APC chieftains Mr Garba's constituency, Jahun.
In the 30-member assembly, the APC has 29 members, while the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has a member.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the governor and his deputy, and the Secretary to the state government, Bala Ibrahim, among other former members of the house.
