BAUCHI: Confusion as lawmakers hold parallel inauguration, elect separate Speakers

There was confusion on Thursday in Bauchi State when the State House of Assembly held two parallel events to inaugurate the 9th Assembly, and also elected separate Speakers for the house.

Reports say eighteen out of the 31 members of the Assembly met separately and elected the former Speaker, Kawuwa Damina, and Tukur Ibrahim as parallel Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively while 11 others also met and elected Abubakar Suleiman as the Speaker.

According to reports, the sitting of the Assembly began at 7am with only 11 members — eight from the PDP, two from the APC and one from the NNPP — in attendance with Suleiman, the member representing the Ningi Central Constituency (APC), emerging the Speaker unopposed.

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Also Danlami Kawule, representing Zungur/Galambi (PDP), was also elected the Deputy Speaker unopposed.

However, a parallel inauguration was staged and a separate Speaker was elected after the 18 members elected on the platform of the APC arrived the Assembly complex at about 8am, and discovered that their colleagues in the opposing group had outsmarted them by holding the session earlier.

Trouble was later averted when the aggrieved members snatched the mace but they were stopped by the Sergeant-at-Arms and other security men on duty from causing any violent scenes.

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