Kano Speaker Resigns, Quits APC

Source: pointblanknews.com

Afraid of already hatched plots to impeach him for his refusal to join the train of the 27 defecting law makers, Speaker of Kano state House of Assembly, Alhaji Gambo Sallau on Tuesday announced his immediate resignation as Speaker of the House via Freedom Radio.

His resignation came as a bizarre development to members of the House, most of whom had personally approached him to bow out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A member of the House who does not want his name in print told Pointblanknews.com that the Speaker's action was in total disagreement to the promise he had to a number of them who held meetings with him Monday night.

“We are all surprise that Mr. Speaker suddenly announced his resignation on a local Radio station this morning to the astonishment of most of us who had meetings with him,” the source added.

Alhaji Gambo Sallau Tuesday morning took the bull by the horn as he announced his resignation 24 hours after 27 PDP lawmakers defected to APC.

He was absent during Monday's meeting which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Ishyaku Ali Danja and had refused to succumb to pressure by his colleagues to dump PDP for APC.

Announcing his resignation as Speaker via Kano-based private Radio-station—Freedom Radio, Sallau said: “I, Gambo Sallau, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, hereby announce my resignation as the speaker. Now that the PDP has become an opposition party, I will not continue to be the Speaker of the House.”

He, however, commended members of the house, the state government and the public for the support they had given him in the last two years.

Pointblanknews.com recalls that on Monday, Kano state House of Assembly witnessed mass defection on Monday as 26 members elected under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared loyalty for the All Progressive Congress (APC), citing Governor Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso's “influential” leadership style as part of their reasons.

Following the development, APC, now enjoys the majority in Kano state House of Assembly, northwest Nigeria as 26 members of the House elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, pledged their membership to the APC.

As it stands, PDP only has seven members out of 40 members of the House, including Speaker Gambo Sallau who was absent during Monday's sitting.

Speaking on behalf of the defected 26 PDP members, Honorable Rabiu Saleh Gwarzo, representing Gwarzo constituency stated that the reason for their defection from PDP to APC was in respect of their clear conviction that, “the APC is a party that has a clear-cut agenda of liberating Nigerians.”

According to him, all the 26 members who defected to APC had wide consultation with their respective constituencies before arrive at the decision to defect to APC.

He also noted that another reason for their defection was, “because we are satisfied with the outstanding performance of the state governor, Dr.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in transforming the state in every aspect of development.”

Some of the defected lawmakers include the Deputy Speaker of the House, Alhaji Isyaku Ali Danja, former speaker, Yusuf Abdullahi Falgore, member representing Rogo constituency.

Others include, house majority leader, Engr.Hamisu Ibrahim, representing Makoda constituency, deputy majority leader, Alhaji Yusuf Babangida Suleman, representing Gwale constituency as well as the chief whip of the house, Alhaji Abdullahi Iliyasu Yunusa,among others.