The Zamfara State House of Assembly has declared the seat of Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South Constituency, vacant. The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker was removed due to attending only 21 out of 180 legislative sessions.
This decision was reached during a plenary session in Gusau, the state capital, following the presentation of a motion by Majority Leader, Bello Muhammad Mazawajje, and the support of the Deputy Speaker, Adamu Aliyu Gummi.
The lawmakers emphasized the importance of active participation in legislative duties, and cited Kagara’s absenteeism as a violation of the Nigerian Constitution and the standing rules of the House, which mandate consistent participation in legislative activities.
Before the decision was made, the House's committees had tried engaging Kagara, who also served as the Assembly’s minority leader, regarding his repeated absenteeism, but all efforts failed.
The Speaker, Bilyaminu Moriki, officially announced the decision after thorough deliberations.
The motion presented by Mazawajje highlighted that Kagara had been absent for an extended period and had attended only 21 sittings out of 180 days, a clear violation of the Assembly’s rules and the Nigerian Constitution. Other lawmakers in the session voiced their support for the motion, underlining the need for representatives to fulfill their constitutional obligations to the people they represent.
The announcement of the vacancy follows the legal procedure set out in the Nigerian Constitution, which requires that a member of the House must attend a minimum number of sittings to retain their seat.
The motion was seconded by Deputy Speaker Gummi, leading to a unanimous decision to declare Kagara’s seat vacant. This move serves as a reminder of the importance of consistent legislative participation and accountability.
