The Zamfara State House of Assembly has summoned Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau, the state’s Deputy Governor, to appear before it and explain why he organised a political rally last Saturday.
The resolution was passed during the house’s plenary on Wednesday following a motion raised by Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, the lawmaker representing Maru North State Constituency.
The summon comes amid the commotion of the defection of Bello Matawalle, Governor of Zamfara State, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the refusal of Gusau to follow suit.
According to a statement issued by Mustapha Jafaru Karau, the Director-General of the assembly’s Press Affairs And Public Relations unit, Kanoma stated that the Zamfar Deputy Governor held the rally despite the spate of attacks by bandits in Maradun Local Government Area of the state.
The lawmaker claimed that the deputy governor failed to decipher the mood of the state which, he said, is in mourning, and also endangered the lives of persons who attended the rally by leaving them susceptible to attacks by bandits.
The statement read: “The decision to invite this respected personality was reached following a motion raised by Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma representing Maru North under matters of urgent public importance of the House.
“Hon Kanoma, who condemned the actions and utterances of the Barr Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau during the last Saturday’s political rally, organised by the Deputy governor barely with less than 24 hours of massive reprisal attacks by bandits on Faru communities in Maradun local government area of the state.
“Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma further opined that while the state was in mourning mood over the killings of more than 56 innocent people, the state Deputy governor did not show any remorse whatsoever with the killings but he was rather busy organising a political rally despite hesitation from the commissioner of police to desist from doing so.
“He described the action of the Deputy governor as undemocratic, uncivilised, too primitive and local for a person of his personality not mindful of the huge regards and respect attached to the exalted office of the Deputy Governor of a state.
“Worst still according to Hon Kanoma was the misguided utterances of the Deputy governor in the interview he granted to the press and media men during the said unfortunate Rally where abusive words were said to have been made by the number two citizen of the state which are in every honesty condemnable.
“Going by these undemocratic tendencies of the state Deputy Governor, Hon Kanoma then drew the attention of his colleagues to as matter of fact and a frantic move to save our democracy and good Image of the state to the outside world there is the urgent need to formally invite His Excellency, Barr Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau, to appear before this Hon House to explain the circumstances surrounding the would-be averted political Rally.”
Other lawmakers, Ibrahim Muhammad Tela Bukkuyum, Ibrahim Tudu Tukur Bakura and Abdulnasir Ibrahim Gayari, also threw their support on the compelling need for the House to invite the state Deputy governor.
Faruk Musa Dosara, the House leader, subsequently moved a motion that a similar invitation should be sent to the Zamfara Commissioner of Police, Hussaini Rabi’u, to also appear before the House to explain whether the Deputy governor obtained permission from the police to hold the rally and also explain to the role the police authorities played in stopping the rally.
Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, Speaker of the House, after deliberations put the motions through a voice vote, which was affirmed by the members.
The Speaker subsequently directed Gusau and the state commissioner of police to appear before the House on Tuesday, 27 July, at 10am.
Gusau has insisted that he will not defect to the ruling party and will instead remain as leader of the PDP in the state.
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