“Zamfara Lawmakers Reject Removal of Minority Leader, Call it ‘Illegal’”

A group of 10 disgruntled members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly on Friday voiced their opposition to the removal of Minority Leader Aliyu Ango-Kagara, calling the decision “illegal.” The dispute stems from a motion passed by the Speaker of the House, Bilyaminu Moriki, declaring Ango-Kagara’s seat vacant due to alleged absenteeism. Moriki claimed that Ango-Kagara had attended only 21 out of 180 plenary sittings.

While 14 out of the 24 members supported the motion, the remaining 10 lawmakers strongly disagreed, describing the removal as a coup orchestrated by a small group of members who acted irresponsibly. Among those who supported the dismissal were Kabiru Mikailu Dangulbi (Maru South), Rilwanu Marafa Nagambo Anka (Anka), Ibrahim Garba Liman Fegin Mahe (Gusau II), and Adamu Aliyu Gummi (Gummi II).

Addressing the press in Abuja, the aggrieved lawmakers, led by Nasiru Maru from Maru I Constituency, expressed their concerns that the Assembly was now under the control of the Executive. “Due to this advantage (of not having a Minority Leader), the Assembly is now more or less under the control of the Executive and is virtually taking orders from there,” Maru stated.

The lawmakers also claimed that they had been illegally suspended simply for refusing to comply with the wishes of the Executive. They warned that with 10 members absent—including or excluding Ango-Kagara—the Assembly would no longer have the two-thirds majority needed for important decisions, such as passing the 2025 Appropriation Bill and amendments to state laws. They deemed any decisions made under these circumstances as “illegal, null, and void.”

The lawmakers called for the immediate reversal of the decision to declare Ango-Kagara’s seat vacant, criticizing it as an “embarrassment stemming from ignorance, abuse of office, and an attempt to silence anyone who challenges them.”

The 10 lawmakers who attended the press conference included Hon. Ibrahim Tukur, Faruk Musa, Shamsudeen Hassan, Bashar Aliyu, Nasiru Maru, Bashir Masama, Amiru Ahmed, Basiru Bello, Aliyu Ango-Kagara, and Mukhtaru Nasiru. The aggrieved members have also written to the National Assembly, seeking intervention before the crisis within the Zamfara Assembly escalates further.