A parallel faction of the Zamfara State House of Assembly has elected Bashar Aliyu Gummi as its new Speaker, deepening the ongoing political crisis in the state’s legislative arm.
In a statement issued by the faction’s spokesperson, Aliyu Ango Kagara, who represents the Talata Mafara South Constituency, the group condemned what it described as “intimidation tactics” allegedly orchestrated by the Governor Dauda Lawal-led state government to silence dissenting voices within the Assembly.
“No amount of intimidation from the state government, including the use of some so-called politically twisted courts or legal officers, can derail our focused leadership,” the faction declared.
The lawmakers stated that they remain committed to discharging their legislative duties despite what they termed illegal suspensions and persistent threats. They alleged that the opposing faction of the Assembly, led by Hon. Bilyaminu Moriki, had suspended several members of their group for over a year without due constitutional process.
Kagara further revealed that the group had submitted petitions to security agencies at both the state and national levels and reached out to key stakeholders regarding what they described as “flagrant abuse of law” by the opposing faction.
“We are also aware and in possession of recorded planned attack on us and our families by some thugs close to the governor and have alerted the security on these, in case anything happens to any of us,” the statement warned.
The faction accused the state government of attempting to undermine due process by allegedly pursuing their arrest through a lower court, despite the matter being under appeal at the Court of Appeal in Sokoto.
They criticized the decision by Justice Halima Jaafar Mikaila, who they claimed issued an arrest order without properly stating who should execute it. They also pointed out a clerical error on the court order, which listed the year as 2024—a detail they say reflects the rushed and flawed nature of the process.
“While the state government mandated some past leaders of the State House of Assembly to meet and discuss with us towards resolving the crisis… it hurriedly went to a lower court to seek for our arrest without any charge,” the group alleged.
Reaffirming their commitment to democratic principles, the faction insisted: “Our stance on the respect to the rule of law by all arms of government in the state remains unshaken. We are not afraid of all the threats, nor shall we be deterred on our mandate.”
The development marks a significant escalation in the legislative crisis that has rocked Zamfara State, raising concerns over political stability and the rule of law.
Efforts to reach the state government or the leadership of the rival faction led by Hon. Bilyaminu Moriki for comments were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
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