Aliyu dumps Ibeto, appoints speaker as acting gov

• State Assembly declares two seats vacant

THE crisis between Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu and his Deputy, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, took a dramatic dimension on Wednesday when the governor directed the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adamu Usman to oversee his schedules as the acting governor as he travels to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj.

   In a letter to that effect to the speaker of the House by the governor with reference No. GHNS/13/72, dated 18th February, 2015 signed by the governor, stated that, “I wish to inform Mr. Speaker that I intend to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj between 19th-26th February, 2015.”

   “In my absence, the honorable speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adamu Usman will oversee my schedules as the Acting Governor.”

   It could be recalled that last week the deputy governor claimed that he was ordered out of the state executive council meeting even as the government insisted that he was the one that requested to be excused from the council on moral ground in view of his new status as APC member.

   Aliyu had earlier assured that despite the decision of Ibeto to decamp to APC, he remains his deputy and will continue to enjoy all rights and privileges until May 29.

   Meanwhile, in another development, the State House of Assembly on Wednesday declared vacant seats for two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House of Assembly following their decision to decamp from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

   The two members are Bashir Isah Lokagwoma, representing Wushishi Constituency and Nazeer Abdullahi, representing Rijau Constituency in the state House of Assembly.

   The action of the Assembly, according to a press statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Mallam Usman Chiji follows the adoption of a letter from the state chapter of the PDP requesting the Assembly to declare the two seats vacant.

   The statement added that the decision to declare the two seats vacant was in line with section 109 sub-section 2 of the 1999 constitution.

   According to the statement, the Speaker, Adamu Usman has directed the clerk of the House to officially communicate the resolution of the House to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct election to fill the two vacant seats within 90 days.

The statement stated further that the two lawmakers were elected in 2011 on the platform of the PDP but defected to the APC last month.