Bauchi Gov Set To Present Budget To Assembly Without Speaker, Deputy After Court Judgment
Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed is set to present the 2024 budget after the verdict of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja removed the Speaker of the Bauchi State Assembly; Abubakar Suleiman and his deputy; Jamilu Barade and ordered a rerun election.
The Court ordered a rerun in 10 polling units in Ningi Central and Jamilu’s constituency, Bauchi Central would witness an election in nine units.
The Court also removed another member representing Zungur/Galambi/Miri Constituency, Hon. Yusuf Saidu Ahmed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). All the affected lawmakers are members of the Party.
It was gathered that Governor Bala Mohammed was planning to present the 2024 budget document on Thursday this week before the sacking of the deputy speaker.
A source in the Assembly said that the other members may elect a new speaker and deputy to avoid a vacuum.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Bauchi said that it has not received court order but is ready for the rerun within the stipulated time.
The INEC’s Officer in charge of Voter Education, Mr. Aliyu Shaba said that: “We have not been served the court order but our lawyer said that we have 90 days.
“We are ready to obey the court. We are going to fix a date for the rerun.”
Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) U.B. Darazo, while reacting, said that the judgment was just and fair stating that there were indeed over voting in some selected polling units.
According to him, the Appeal Court in its judgment has ordered INEC to conduct rerun elections in the affected polling units. Darazo said that the APC is thrilled with the judgment as it is an indication that the 2023 elections in Bauchi state were indeed “faulty”.
