
The Speaker Kaduna state House of Assembly, Mr Usman Gangara, from Giwa East constituency and his deputy, Dr. Dogara Mato from Lere constituency were, impeached earlier today by 19 out of 34 members of the assembly, alleged to be loyal to Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero.
The former speaker, Gangara and his deputy, Mato alongside six other principal officers of the House were all absent when the impeachment proceeding presided over by a member of the house, Mr. Philemon Usman was carried out.
They elected a new speaker, Shehu Usman Tahir representing Giwa West Constituency and Peter Adamu representing Kagarko Constituency elected Deputy Speaker, as 19 out of the 26 eligible voters from the 34-member House hat were present during the session endorsed the impeachment of the speaker and his deputy
The new Speaker, Shehu Tahir , shortly after his election told journalists that the desire to change the former principal officers of the House was to have robust law making in the state, which was lacking in the last leadership, as he denied the involvement of VP Sambo and Governor Yero in the removal of the former principal officers.
At a separate news conference, the embattled former speaker, Usman Gangara alongside 16 other members loyal to him described the purported impeachment as a nullity, saying that the House had already suspended sitting indefinitely before the action took place.
Some of the lawmakers argued that the other members did not constitute 2/3 majority as stipulated by the constitution to impeach the Speaker and other principal officers of the House.
They further accused Vice President Namadi Sambo and the State Governor, Muktar Ramalan Yero of being the brain behind the crisis rocking the state Assembly and influencing some of the members with monetary inducement.
The aggrieved members had last month issued the former Speaker and other principal officers of the House a 30-day ultimatum to resign, on grounds of incompetence and alleged gross misconduct.