By Mustapha Yauri

Concerned Zaria Citizens, a political pressure group, and other stakeholders across Kaduna North (Zone 1) have urged Gov. Uba Sani and other key players to support a member from the zone as new Speaker of the state House of Assembly.

Alhaji Hassan Mohammed-Baba, a senior member of the group, made this call while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Zaria.

Mohammed-Baba said the appeal was to also fill the vacuum created at the Assembly following a Court judgment that sacked Mr Yusuf Liman, who was the speaker of the legislature.

”This has provided additional opportunity for the state to adjust its political power sharing formula.

”Until recently, each of the three zones in the Kaduna state maintain either the position of the governor, deputy governor or speaker of the House of Assembly,” according to him.

However, the group noted that the incumbent governor and the sacked speaker are all from Kaduna Central Zone, thereby undermining the Northern zone.

NAN recalls that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had nullified the election of Liman and ordered a rerun in five polling units of the state in his constituency.

The petition was filed by Mr Solomon Katuka, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Makera constituency.

Commenting, Mr Hussaini Abdu, a private legal practitioner in Zaria, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should expedite action to comply with the court order to remove the vacuum created due to the judgment.

The legal practitioner said the agreement of sharing political positions should be sustained in the state in the interest of fairness and stability.

”Each side of the state should be carried along; every part of the state should have a sense of belonging.

“It is paramount that posts should be distributed according to the landscape of the state; it is in accord with the principles of federal character and the constitution,” Abdu said.

He explained that the court ordered for a re-run in the constituency, stressing ”this means the former speaker was not a member of Kaduna state House of Assembly.

”He was elected speaker by the incidence of being a member of the Kaduna state House of Assembly representing one of its constituencies.

“Now that his election has been nullified and a re-run election was ordered by the Court, in the eyes of the law he is not a member of the state House of Assembly until after the re-run.

“It is absolutely wrong in the eyes of the Law for him (sacked speaker) to be enjoying the facilities and privileges of the office of the Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly.

“It is the deputy speaker who is now doing the official job of the Speaker; the sacked speaker has no right to use the vehicles, votes, property attached to office, among others, and doing that is an infringement on the law,’’ Abdu said.

Similarly, Dr Abubakar Danja of the Department of Public Administration, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, said the agitation was in the spirit of the fair distribution of political appointments as provided by the principles of federal character.

The don however emphasised that when there was intra-party agreement on zoning political appointments such agreement should be respected to prevent subtle political sabotage.

Danja said the court has the supreme decision on election matters.

“It is better for the sacked speaker to fully step aside for a better and credible re-run election.

“If an election was to be contested and one of the contenders was already enjoying the privileges of the office then the aim of the re-run election was defeated,’’ he said.

He also noted that democracy was under threat through some pronouncements by the judiciary.

He, therefore, advised the judiciary arm of government to reinvigorate towards meeting the aspirations of average Nigerians. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)