Babayo Akuyam has been elected as the new Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.
He represents the state’s Hardawa Constituency in the Misau Local Government Area.
Ahmed Abdullahi, who represents Dass Constituency in Dass LGA, was also voted as Deputy Speaker by the House.
According to the PUNCH, this comes just five days after the Appeal Court in Abuja dismissed the then-Speaker, Abubakar Suleiman, as member representing Ningi Central Constituency.
Suleiman, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the immediate past Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, was declared the winner of the Ningi Central Constituency election held on March 18, having received 16, 866 votes to defeat his closest rival, Khalid Abdulmalik-Ningi of the All Progressives Congress, who received 15, 065 votes.
Not satisfied with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of the election results, Abdulmalik-Ningi petitioned the Governorship and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in the state for redress, but the tribunal dismissed his case and confirmed Suleiman’s victory for a second term.
Not satisfied with the ruling, the APC candidate appealed to the Court of Appeal, and in its decision on Friday, the appellate court’s three-man panel set aside the tribunal’s ruling and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a rerun in 10 polling units.
Only three days after Suleiman was fired, the court removed his deputy, Jamilu Barade, a PDP member, from his post as the member representing Bauchi Central Constituency, and ordered a rerun in some polling units.
Not pleased with the tribunal’s decision, the APC candidate, Aliyu Ilela, petitioned the appeal court, which granted his petition and declared the election null and void due to claimed over-voting. In addition, the court ordered a rerun in several polling places.
However, in its session on Wednesday, the House elected Akuyam and Abdullahi as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, without opposition.
The new Speaker was elected after a nomination by the member from Shira Constituency Auwal Hassan, which was seconded by the member representing Burra Tanko Ibrahim.
The Clerk of the House, Umar Gital, swore in both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.
The Speaker was later led to his place.
In his acceptance speech, Akuyam thanked God for his election as Speaker, promised the people of the state that his doors will always be open for positive advise, and praised his colleagues for believing in him.
According to him, based on the current administration’s ideology, the House will do everything necessary to help the state’s overall development.
Meanwhile, the State Governor, Bala Mohammed, will present the Assembly with the state budget plan for 2024 on Thursday.
(Credit: Punch)