Confusion As Bauchi Assembly Gets Two Speakers, One For PDP, One For APC

The Bauchi State House of Assembly has produced two speakers, one from the Peoples Democratic Party, and another from the All Progressives.

It was reported that 11 out of 31 lawmakers of the assembly had arrived the complex by 7 am and elected Abubakar Suleiman as the speaker of the house.

Suleiman is a member representing Ningi Central Constituency and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Danlami Kawule a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Zungur/Galambi was also elected as the deputy speaker by the same group of lawmakers.

However, in a turn of events, another set of lawmakers, 18 of them, conducted a parallel election in front of the assembly complex about 11 am since they were not allowed into the legislative chamber.

The members could not gain access into the chamber as it was locked so they decided to hold a parallel election outside the complex.

The members stood in front of the statue of the mace symbol and elected Kawuwa Damina as the speaker of the state house of assembly.

Damina is a former speaker in the state’s eighth assembly and a member of the APC. He was returned in the parallel election through a voice vote.

The ninth assembly inauguration was earlier scheduled to hold 10 am but the 11 members came early as 6 am to elect a speaker and went ahead with the inauguration.