POLITICS Yobe Assembly receives 17 nominees as LG caretaker chairmen

By Christiana Ekpa

Yobe State House of Assembly on Tuesday received a list of nominees from the executive seeking confirmation as chairmen and members of the Local Government Caretaker Management Committee to run the affairs of the 17 local governments for the period of six months.

This followed the expiration of the six months tenure in office of the caretaker chairmen of the 17 local governments in the state.

The leader of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Bukar Mustapha, read the letter which was presented to the House by the executive arm of government.

He said “Following the expiration of chairmen and members of the Caretaker Management Committee for the 17 local government councils in the state, there is a need to appoint caretaker management committees for the 17 local governments so as not to create a vacuum in the Local Government Administration.”

The names on the lists are Alhaji Ibrahim Babagana (Bade), Lawan Bukar (Bursari), Bukar Adamu (Damaturu),

Hajiya Halima Kyari Joda (Fika), Baba Goni Mustapha (Fune), Musa Mohammed (Geidam), Dala Mala (Gujba), Daiyabu Ilu (Gulani), Umar Abba (Jakusko) and Lawan Alhaji Gana (Karasuwa). Others are Bukar A Bukar (Machina), Alhaji Salisu Yerima (Nangere), Alhaji Modu Kachalla (Nguru), Salisu Muktari (Potiskum), Mohammed Lamido Musa (Tarmuwa), Zannah Zakariya

(Yunusari) and Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim (Yusufari).

After long deliberation on the subject matter by members of the assembly, the Speaker of the House who presided over the sitting adjourned the sitting to Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Note that Governor Mai Mala Buni has approved November 25, 2023, as the date for the conduct of local government council elections in the state.

Why APC zoning template is unfair to North — Yari

Zamfara West Senatorelect and Senate President aspirant, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, has said that the zoning formula of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) on the 10th Senate leadership positions was in conflict with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) because it is in breach of the federal character principle as enshrined in the constitution.

Yari said the religion balancing rationale behind the APC zoning arrangement was unknown to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as the nation’s law book only provides for federal character in sharing of offices for balancing and not religion as a factor.

Recall that the ruling party had last week annointed Senator Godswill Akpabio (South-South) and Senator Barau Jibril (North-West) as Senate President and Deputy for the incoming 10th Senate, respectively.

But, the former Zamfara state governor and one-time member of the House of Representatives, who spoke on Tuesday while featuring as a guest on Arise News Channel’s breakfast programme, ‘The Morning Show’, noted that the APC zoning formula for election of presiding officers for the 10th Senate was unconstitutional and unfair to Northern Nigeria as all the heads of the three arms of government will be Southerners.

“I am particularly talking about the APC, if they decide to zone (Senate leadership positions), we ask them a question, on what do you based the zoning? Have you taken the federal character into cognizance, where the President, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Assembly chairman, the three arms of government, are in one place?

“The present Chief Justice of Nigeria is from Oyo State; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect is from Lagos State, and Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom State at the same time. While the next Chief Justice of the Federation (Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun) is also going to be from the South-West.

“So, have you ever seen, let’s say since 1960, whether this kind of thing has happened during the Shagari era, coming to Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan? It only happened during Buhari’s time slightly before CJN Onnoghen took over the Judiciary for some time.

“Now it happens that (with APC zoning arrangement), all the three arms of government are in the Southern part of the country. How could that be fair to Northern Nigeria?” Yari queried.

Zamfara West Senator-elect and Senate President aspirant, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, has said that the zoning formula of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) on the 10th Senate leadership positions was in conflict with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) because it is in breach of the federal character principle as enshrined in the constitution.

Yari said the religion balancing rationale behind the APC zoning arrangement was unknown to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as the nation’s law book only provides for federal character in sharing of offices for balancing and not religion as a factor.

Recall that the ruling party had last week annointed Senator Godswill Akpabio (South-South) and Senator Barau Jibril (North-West) as Senate President and Deputy for the incoming 10th Senate, respectively.

But, the former Zamfara State governor and one-time member of the House of Representatives, who spoke on Tuesday while featuring as a guest on Arise News Channel’s breakfast programme, ‘The Morning Show’, noted that the APC zoning formula for election of presiding officers for the 10th Senate was unconstitutional and unfair to Northern Nigeria as all the heads of the three arms of government will be Southerners.

“I am particularly talking about the APC, if they decide

Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari

to zone (Senate leadership positions), we ask them a question, on what do you based the zoning? Have you taken the federal character into cognizance, where the President, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Assembly chairman, the three arms of government, are in one place?

“The present Chief Justice of Nigeria is from Oyo State; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect is from Lagos State, and Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom State at the same time. While the next Chief Justice of the Federation (Justice Kudirat

Kekere-Ekun) is also going to be from the South-West.

“So, have you ever seen, let’s say since 1960, whether this kind of thing has happened during the Shagari era, coming to Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan? It only happened during Buhari’s time slightly before CJN Onnoghen took over the Judiciary for some time.

“Now it happens that (with APC zoning arrangement), all the three arms of government are in the Southern part of the country. How could that be fair to Northern Nigeria?” Yari queried.