Niger Gov. Aliyu Snubs Deputy, Asks Assembly Speaker To Act As Governor While He Goes On Hajj

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State on Wednesday side-lined his
embattled deputy, Ahmed Ibeto, who defected to an opposition party,
and asked the Speaker of House of Assembly, Adamu Usman, to act in his
capacity while away to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj.

Mr. Aliyu said in a letter to the speaker that he would be out of the
state from February 19 to 26.

"In my absence, the speaker will oversee my schedules as the Acting
governor", he said in the letter.

Mr. Aliyu had moved against the deputy after he defected from the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Last week, Mr. Ibeto was reportedly walked out of state cabinet
meeting, although the government denied the reports.

The latest development came Wednesday as the speaker, Mr. Usman, an
ally of the governor, also walked two lawmakers out of the state
assembly, for defecting to APC, after declaring their seats vacant.

Mr. Usman, Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, said the
defection violated the constitution of the state legislature.

The affected members are Bashir Lokogoma (Wushishi) and Nazeer
Abdullahi (Rijau).

Mr. Usman said the House took the decision based on a letter from the
PDP State Working Committee confirming the defection of the two
members to APC.

The speaker then ordered the two members to be walked out of the House
by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

The two members said the action of the speaker amounted to impunity,
adding that their lawyers would take up the case in court "because
there exists a court order restraining the House from taking such
action".
--(NAN)