The Niger State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended plenary indefinitely following what lawmakers described as unresolved issues with the executive arm of government.
The decision was reached after a motion moved by the member representing Chanchaga Constituency, Mohammed Abubakar-Kabir, popularly known as Ustaz, who urged the House to halt legislative proceedings until all outstanding issues between the legislature and the executive are addressed.
Although he did not disclose the specific issues in contention, Abubakar-Kabir argued that lawmakers had a responsibility to defend the independence of the legislature and ensure that pending matters were not ignored.
According to him, future generations would judge the current Assembly harshly if members continued to allow unresolved concerns with the executive arm to be swept aside.
“We must act now to protect the integrity and independence of the legislature. Posterity will judge us if we continue to overlook these issues,” he said.
The motion was seconded by Abdulrahman Gambo, who represents Borgu Constituency.
However, the proposal generated intense debate on the floor of the House, with some lawmakers opposing the move.
Jibrin Ndagi-Baba, member representing Lavun Constituency, moved a counter-motion, arguing that the House should proceed with its legislative business while discussions with the executive continued.
He maintained that suspending plenary was unnecessary and could disrupt the legislative process.
The disagreement between supporters and opponents of the motion led to heated exchanges that nearly turned the session rowdy, as members passionately defended their positions.
To restore order, Speaker of the House, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, intervened and appealed for calm, urging members to respect differing opinions and allow democratic procedures to prevail.
Following extensive deliberations, the Speaker directed that the matter be put to a vote.
The majority of lawmakers voted in support of suspending plenary, resulting in the indefinite adjournment of legislative proceedings.
After adopting the motion, members retired into a closed-door executive session to further deliberate on the unresolved issues with the executive arm of government.
The Assembly has not announced a date for the resumption of plenary, while details of the disagreement between both arms of government remain undisclosed.
