The Deputy Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Tsamdu, has been impeached.
The impeachment came following a rare Saturday sitting originally designed to fast track the passage of the 2019 budget which later turned to a palace coup ousting the deputy speaker and three other principal officers.
The House also kicked out the Majority Leader, Hassan Mamman Barguma, (Hong constituency), Deputy Majority Leader, Abubakar Isa (Shelleng constituency), the Deputy Chief Whip, Abdullahi Nyapak (Verre constituency). It was a tsunami.
Consequently, Lumsabani Dilli (Demsa constituency) was made the new Deputy Speaker, while Hayatu Mohammed Atiku (Uba-Gaya) was elected Majority Leader, replacing his kinsman from Hong.
Others elected as principal officers were Safiyanu Aminu Aliyu (Song constituency), Deputy Chief Whip and Sani Shehu (Mubi North constituency), Deputy Majority Leader.
However, the embattled former deputy speaker, Emmanuel Tsamdu, has rejected the impeachment, declaring it unconstitutional and lacking merit.
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Tsamdu contended that, “13 people cannot impeach me and some of the people whose signatures were on the impeachment list were forged.
“We adjourned sitting to today Saturday because we wanted to adopt the proceedings of Friday which was on the budget passing for the governor to sign on Monday as requested by him.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m still the deputy speaker.”
The motion for the impeachment was moved by Sani Shehu, representing Mubi North constituency and was supported by Hayatu Atiku, representing Uba Gaya constituency while Dilli was appointed speaker pro temple.
Lusambani Dilli was unanimously appointed as the new deputy speaker after a motion was moved and supported.
Dilli, the newly-installed Deputy Speaker, described the change as normal and inevitable.
“We felt there was the need for change and that was why we acted in that direction.
“When you put people in a place of authority, they should be able to carry out their duties and protect the interest of those who elected them.
“There was no outside influence in our action.”