Former Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Yakubu Suleiman who in the 18th March, 2023 State Assembly election re-contested for a second term in office, but eventually lost, has returned to the House following re-run election and subsequently backed-pedal onto his speakership seat at a planery session Wednesday.
The re-election of Speaker Abubakar Suleiman in the 18th March, 2023 was challenged by his APC opponent, Malam Khalid Ningi at the State Election Petitions Tribunal which case eventually led to an Appellate Court which ruled for a re-run election into four state assembly seat including that of Ningi on which the speaker rode to the legislature.
The four state constituencies to which re-run elections were conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 3rd February this year following the Appellate Court order were Ningi Central, Madara/Chinade, Zungur/Galambi, and Bauchi Central on which Jamilu Dahiru subsequently rode to the deputy speakership of the House.
All the four state assembly seats in the re-run election were won by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to which both the speaker and his deputy belonged when the Appellate Court quashed their elections into the House and ordered for a re-run.
Rt. Hon. Abubakar Yakubu Suleiman representing Ningi central however won the re-run election into his constituency with 11, 785 votes to floored his opponent, Khalid Ningi of the APC who polled 10, 339 votes put together of the two with the votes from the 18th March, 20230 general elections.
The Bauchi central state constituency seat in the re-run election was also won by the PDP through the candidature of Jamilu Dahiru who hitherto was the deputy speaker before the Appellate Court order, as he polled 45, 240 votes against Aliyu Abdullahi of the APC who had 42, 266 votes.
The other two state constituency seats in the re-run elections into the Madara/Chinade and Zungur/ Galambi were won by PDP candidates Dr. Also Ahmed with 13, 920 votes to defeat Dantali Ali of APC with 9, 710; and Zungur/Galambi seat won by Yusuf Ahmed with 2, 233 votes, against Ibrahim Yuguda who got 1, 928 votes.
At the planery session of the Legislature Wednesday, the Presiding Speaker, Rt. Hon. Babayo Mohammed who hailed from Hardawa/Akuyam state constituency honourably and voluntarily announced his decision to relinguish the speakership seat in favour of the former speaker, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Yakubu Suleiman.
Rt. Hon. Babayo Mohammed had following the Appellate Court quashing of the former speaker’s seat and his subsequent ascension as the House Speaker, shortly after in a public fora pledged to vacate the seat should Rt. Hon. Abubakar Suleiman emerge victorious in the February 3rd, 2024 re-run election.
And no sooner has Rt. Hon. Babayo Mohammed relinquished the speakership seat, the incumbent Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Abdullahi in the same token also annonced the vacationnof his seat to the former deputy speaker, Jamilu Dahiru, the actions which the lawmakers loudly endorsed.
The outgoing speaker and his deputy stated that the move is part of the agreement reached by the lawmakers to step down for Abubakar Sulaimen and Jamilu Darihu, and expressed appreciation to their colleagues and other staff of the assembly for the support and cooperation given to them during their stewardship.
The re-elected speaker, Abubakar Yakubu Sulaiman, thanked the outgoing speaker and his deputy for exhibiting a high sense of maturity while discharging their legislative duties, and pledged his readiness to continue providing effective legislation that will better the lives of the citizenry.
It is noteworthy that the appeal court nullified the elections of four members of the Bauchi Assembly late last year, giving a ruling for a re-run in four state constituencies, 16 wards or registration areas that compressed 42 polling units in three Local Government Areas of Bauchi, Ningi and Katagum.
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