How, Why Ex-Speaker Muduru was Impeached (Full Details)

It took nothing less than three months of underground politickings, maneuverings, and several nocturnal meetings to garner the required two-third majority to ease out Aliyu Sabiu Muduru as Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly last Wednesday.

The 34-member assembly, which has a representative from each local government area, saw all but 11 members who sign the impeachment notice.

Our correspondent gathered that those who did not sign the notice included the ousted speaker, Abduljalal Runka, Bishir Mamman, Garba Yau, Nasir Yahaya, Mustapha Abdullahi, Umar Gambo, Salisu Hamza and Abubakar Sulaiman.

But the die was finally cast last Tuesday when the pressure group got the last signature to go ahead with the plan to remove Muduru.

Muduru was quietly eased out by his colleagues when he was presiding over the daily house activities in the legislative chamber.

Unknown to Muduru and his eleven ‘die-hard’ supporters cum members, who could not be convinced to take part in the leadership change, the sitting was normal and orderly with laughters and jeers in the gallery.

As the day’s proceedings were winding up, Muduru called on the majority leader, Hambali Faruk, to state ‘what’s next’. It was at this point that Faruk drew the attention of the then speaker, under matter of public importance, to a letter written to him by 23 members of the assembly, asking him to step aside because they had lost confidence in him.

Muduru, alongside deputy chief whip, Nasir Yahaya, who was also supported by some power brokers for speakership, was then asked to step aside.

Yahaya was among the strong contenders for the post but lost because President Muhammadu Buhari and Senator from the state also come from Daura town.

But he was still compensated with the deputy chief whip against all odds because the new occupant was being expected from other key areas from the zone.

As soon as this issue was mentioned, the deputy speaker, Shehu Tafoki, was then mandated to take charge. As a surprise to others, Tafoki went on to conduct the affairs of the house, while the sergeant at arms and clerk were asked to remain on standby for further actions.

It was at this point that they asked everybody in the gallery, including journalists to go out of the chamber. During the closed door sitting, the house elected the new speaker, Yahaya Kusada.

After a while, the lawmakers invited the journalists back to witness the swearing-in of the new speaker, who in turn, promised to carry all member along.

The impeached speaker alongside six other members hurriedly stormed out of the chamber as the events were unfolding. They boarded a Peugeot SUV vehicle and drove off the assembly premises.

Sources said the embattled speaker was later sighted at the Government House along with the party chairman, Shittu Shittu.

Unfortunately, the governor had travelled, while the deputy governor was said to be holding a meeting.

However, during the closed door meeting, our correspondent gathered that the members, who had not settled on who would become the next speaker, a position hitherto zoned to Katsina North, threw the contest open with three members indicating interest.

They were asked to go and reach a consensus among themselves. Finally, they settled for Yahaya Kusada, who was then inaugurated.

The peaceful removal of the speaker was seen by many as long overdue, given the circumstances that initially led to his emergence in 2015 as the speaker of the state 8th assembly.

His election as speaker was greeted with controversies. He was believed to have the support of some ‘god fathers’ who see him as a “novice and youth” that could be used to do their bidding.

The house standing rule had to be amended to the dislike of many to pave way for his emergence as speaker. The assembly believes that a fresher or newcomer cannot be a speaker, but an experienced member.

When the legislature was inaugurated, only Yameel Dutsi, Shehu Tafoki, Abdullahi Mahutu and Magaji Rumah were eligible for the post because of the house standing rule. However, alleged pressures from ‘god fathers’ made them to amend the law. Besides, due to resistance, an election had to be conducted.  Muduru defeated Yameel to become speaker after party backings along with other pressure groups.

His speakership tenure did not, however, go smoothly right from the onset as many see his imposition as a barrier for the members to exercise their fundamental constitutional duties efficiently. With backing from party leadership and other stakeholders, Muduru was seen as an untouchable son.

With Muduru having the backings, he was said to have begun to exhibit acts, most of his colleagues, believe, that were alien for a leader. He was said to have run the assembly alongside his few die-hard supporters and members.

A member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ousted speaker neither called nor listened to his colleagues as “he asked his friends or aides to call you on phone when the need arose. I can tell you, the childishness in him begins to outgrow his personality.”

“At 33, most of us have children or younger brothers at that age. He shows no respect. His attitudes were unbecoming. It was only on Tuesday that we got the last signature. He alienated himself. With immaturity and delicate situation, his age and inexperience, he became pompous. His activities began to annoy most of us. He became power drunk.

“The final nail on Muduru’s   speakership coffin was finally hit when he began to associate with persons with different interests of his ‘god fathers’.”

An instant, our correspondent gathered, was when a local government aspirant told one of Muduru’s ‘god fathers’ that he belonged to “Muduru camp”.

This assertion was said to have infuriated the god fathers and seemed to have confirmed the hearsay that Muduru is trying to carve a niche in the political sphere of the state.

When contacted on the development, Shittu , the state APC chairman, said what happened was internal affair of the house.

Shittu said the action did not contradict the assembly’s operational guidelines, stressing that “as leaders of the party which has all the members, we don’t have any problem with them.

“This is a matter that affects a legislative house and such matters of the legislators are best handled by themselves’.

“But you know these things are bound to happen in legislative houses. But as a party, we shall do all things possible to harmonise all their dealings for peaceful coexistence,” he also said.

For the new speaker, Kusada, it is a new beginning as he ascends the throne. In his inaugural briefs, Kusada promised to carry all on board, describing his emergence as a great surprise.

Culled from Daily Trust