Anxiety pervaded the Bauchi State as House of Representatives committee set up to look into the crisis that rocked the State House of Assembly submitted its report.
The 12-member committee led by Sarki Adar was set up by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to investigate the emergence of two speakers in the Assembly.
Abubakar Suleiman, was elected by 13 members and Kawuwa Damina, elected by 18 members in another election.
As a result of the crisis, the Assembly has not sat
Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is believed to be backing Suleiman, while Damina is said to have the support of immediate past governor, Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The House of Representatives had also set up a committee to look into similar crisis in Edo State House of Assembly.
It submitted its report last week, just as it has passed a resolution on the crisis.
Daily Sun gathered that the Damina-led majority rejected Suleiman as they claimed the newly appointed Clerk, who conducted the election, had not been approved by the House as provided by the law. They also said the majority of the House members were excluded from the election to produce the principal officers of the House.
Governor Mohammed, in his reaction, told the Reps committee that there was just one House (of Assembly) in Bauchi “because elections were conducted and I was privileged to sign the proclamation and the election were held with the clerk and the symbol of authority – the mace – was there and inside the House and not outside, but within the timeline.”
Meanwhile, some youths have warned that the process that produced Suleiman as speaker should not be tampered with.
The youths said they are backing Suleiman because he was duly selected as speaker. According to them, 13 lawmakers formed a quorum and by law could carry out the assembly function. They said that once in the state, nine lawmakers sat and passed resolution under the former governor.
“What due process? Did the House not form quorum? How can the same group that repealed the state’s anti-corruption law with only nine members in attendance turn round to claim that 13 members did not form quorum? You can now see their hypocrisy.”
An APC stalwart, who spoke on the development added that the Adar-committee possessed the instrument to douse the inferno that was about to engulf Bauchi State.
The House of Reps, apart from meeting Governor Mohammed, also met with other stakeholders and groups, including the factions in the state House of Assembly, emirs and non-governmental groups.