The Jigawa State House of Assembly has declared the recent impeachment of the Garki Local Government Speaker as illegal and without merit.
This was made known by Hon. Ibrahim Hashim Kanya, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, who spoke on behalf of the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, during a press briefing.
According to Kanya, the councilors who initiated the impeachment failed to follow due legal procedures and acted without informing the State Assembly, a step now required before any local council leadership changes can be made.
“The removal of the Garki Speaker was carried out in violation of established laws,” Kanya stated.
“Hence, the impeachment is nullified, and the speaker retains his position. Local government lawmakers must seek the consent of the state assembly before attempting such actions.”
The State Assembly’s stance follows a move by seven out of ten councillors in the Garki Local Government Council, who held a sitting on Friday to remove the then Speaker and appoint a new leadership.
Abdussamad Adam from Garki Ward was chosen as the new Speaker, with Magajin Dahiru (Siyore Ward) as Deputy Speaker, Danjuma Abdullahi (Gunku Ward) as Majority Leader, and Muhammad Sale (Largo Ward) as Chief Whip.
In response, some councillors criticized the intervention by the State Assembly, accusing its Speaker of overstepping his bounds and violating constitutional provisions that guarantee local government autonomy.
They argued that their actions were lawful and in line with the Nigerian Constitution, which grants autonomy to all three tiers of government.
The councillors also raised concerns about a lack of transparency and oversight in the operations of the Garki council under the previous speaker.
“We acted within our constitutional powers,” one councillor stated.
“We were not consulted or involved in decisions regarding financial spending, contract approvals, committee formations, or project oversight—issues clearly within our legislative mandate.”
Despite the local lawmakers’ objections, the State Assembly insists that the impeachment remains invalid unless its guidelines are followed.
