Kaduna Speaker Declares Defecting Members’ Seats Vacant 

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

The  Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Shagalinku, on Wednesday declared vacant, the seats of the former Deputy Speaker of the house, John Audu Kwaturu, and  another lawmaker, Junaid Yakubu, who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Kwaturu and Yakubu who represents Kachia and Kudan state constituencies respectively had defected from the APC on Friday, giving various reasons for their action.

Declaring their seats vacant  on the floor of the house, Shagalinku maintained that the defection of the lawmakers was  illegal and unconstitutional as there was no faction or crisis in the APC at the state and national levels.

The speaker said the declaration was in line with the provisions of the  Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

However Kwaturu, has described the action of the speaker as  undemocratic and unconstitutional, vowing to use all constitutional means to stop it.

In a telephone interview with THISDAY, Kwaturu  who resigned his position as the Deputy Speaker on Tuesday, said  he arrived the house when the sitting was over as he  was preparing to handover the  official car of the deputy speaker and other property in his possession.

“I  defected from the APC on Friday and I tendered my resignation as the Deputy Speaker on Tuesday. I arrived the house late because I was  sorting the official car and other property of the office of the Deputy Speaker in my possession to hand over them since I had resigned from the position.

“My defection is in accordance with the provisions of the constitution because the APC is factionalised. We have this one that is called Reformed APC.

Many people have defected from the APC as a result of the faction within the party, especially in Kaduna.

“In Kaduna we have three factions of the party, we have APC Akida, Restoration Group and Government House faction and that is the reason for my decamping.

“I am appealing to well meaning Nigerians to intervene in this matter. I have not been officially informed that my seat has been declared vacant, but as soon as I get official communication, I shall go to my people who elected me and we will take appropriate legal and constitutional steps to address the issue” Kwaturu said.

Kwaturu also accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of allegedly masterminding the declaration.

Meanwhile, the house  has  unanimously elected the former chairman House Committee on Information, Hon. Nuhu Goro Shadalafiya, as the new Deputy Speaker.

Shadalafiya represents Kagarko local constituency in the assembly.