The Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, has said the eight lawmakers who recently announced their exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC) were already serving a suspension before they left the party.
Moriki explained that the lawmakers were suspended on February 26, 2024, over allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy, mischief, contempt of the House and breach of the Assembly’s Standing Orders.
Speaking in reaction to the defection, he said it should not be read as a sign of division or instability in the Assembly.
According to him, the allegations go beyond breaches of legislative procedure. He said the lawmakers were accused of forcing their way into the offices of the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms, gaining unauthorised entry into the chamber, damaging public property and then holding an unauthorised sitting.
The Speaker added that a criminal complaint over the allegations has been filed against the suspended lawmakers before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Moriki described the defection as an attempt to divert public attention from the disciplinary proceedings against them.
“The Zamfara State House of Assembly is stable, functional and fully engaged in its constitutional responsibilities. The purported defection of members who have remained under suspension cannot be presented as evidence of disarray in the House,” he said.
He continued: “Their suspension was therefore not a consequence of their present political decision. It substantially predates their purported defection and arose from disciplinary matters within the Assembly.”
The Speaker disclosed that on May 13, 2026, the Assembly extended the suspension for another legislative session because the disciplinary issues remained unresolved.
He said the House had earlier reinstated two other suspended lawmakers after they apologised for their conduct, which he argued showed the disciplinary measures were not politically motivated.
Moriki also rejected claims that the Assembly lacks the numbers or capacity to transact business, saying 16 lawmakers are currently active and proceedings continue in line with the Constitution and the Standing Orders.
“The House held its plenary last Tuesday and is scheduled to reconvene on Monday. There is therefore no basis whatsoever for portraying the Zamfara State House of Assembly as being in disarray,” he stated.
He urged the public to separate the lawmakers’ political decisions from the disciplinary proceedings that predated their defection, stressing that changing parties cannot invalidate those proceedings or the pending legal cases.
Moriki reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to the rule of law, legislative integrity and the protection of public institutions and property.
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