Attempted arson: Security agencies take over Bauchi Assembly

The crisis that engulfed the Bauchi State House of Assembly has taken another dimension as arsonists failed in an attempt to burn down the Complex.

It was learnt that the arsonists, whose identity and number had yet to be known, attempted putting fire on the Assembly complex Sunday night.

But for the quick intervention of security agencies, they would have succeeded in their mission.

This compelled combined team of security comprising men of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Security, and the Nigerian Army, to take over the complex.

The Special Adviser to the Bauchi State Governor on State and National Assembly Liaison, Sani Burra, confirmed the incident to journalists on Monday in a terse message.

He said: “Assalamu alaikum! Sir, just to inform you that some unknown persons last night had attempted to burn the Hon. House (Bauchi State House of Assembly) Complex.

“As a result of which security agencies have taken over the place to avoid breakdown of law and order. This is to avoid (prevent) the journalists from giving wrong side of the story please.”

The Bauchi State House of Assembly was on Friday engulfed by a leadership crisis following the demand by 22 members who passed a vote of no-confidence on the Speaker and principal officers of the House for their ineptness.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, who is also the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, is currently in Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage. He is also the Deputy Leader of the 2022 Muslim Pilgrimage Team to Saudi Arabia.

Suleiman had recently defected from the All Progressives Congress, the party on whose platform he was elected as lawmaker, to the Peoples Democratic Party. With his defection, the APC currently has 16 members, while the PDP has 15 in the Assembly.

Interestingly, the 22 members who passed the vote of no-confidence on the Speaker and other principal officers, comprised seven members of the PDP and 15 from the APC.

The Deputy Majority Leader of the Assembly, Baballe Dambam (APC) representing the Dambam/Dagauda/Jalam Constituency, who led the 22 lawmakers, declared that the leadership of the House has failed in its responsibility to the members and, therefore, called on the leadership to voluntarily resign from their various offices or be impeached any moment from now.

The leader of the 22 members who addressed journalists at the end of a meeting held at the Assembly complex, said: “After our meeting held today, Friday, 1st July 2022, 22 members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly resolved to pass a vote of no-confidence on the leadership of the House from today.

“We consider that as it is today, there is no leadership in the State House of Assembly. I am among the leaders but we feel that it is the right time and we must do it. We have, therefore, passed a vote of no-confidence on all the leaders of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

“We are calling on the leaders of the Bauchi State House of Assembly to honourably tender their resignation letters to the Clerk of the Assembly. That will allow the Honourable House the opportunity to elect its leaders in order to forge ahead.” (The PUNCH)