Zamfara 2025 Budget Presentation Is Illegal, Must Be Reversed, Says APC

By Aminu Abdullahi Gusau.

The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC is shocked and perplexed by the highest level of disregard to the nation's constitution as displayed by governor Dauda Lawal, his executive and the state legislature in the presentation and receipt of the 2025 budget proposal.

The illegality that accompanied the budget presentation which event held today at the State House of Assembly is to say the least, the most embarrassing thing the state government has done not only against itself but to the entire people of the state.

A state annual budget proposal presentation event is usually done openly for the entire world to see, know and possibly comment or contribute to the way and manner public tax payers' money will be utilized by the government in the incoming year.

While planning to spend over N545 billion naira, governor Dauda and his stooges cowardly decided to hide themselves in the hollowed chamber of the state assembly to cook up in secrecy how they intend to perfectly perpetrate their hidden agenda.

To do this, the government, in collaboration with some bad security personnel, shielded everyone, especially the media, from covering the presentation and by implication denying the public knowledge or access to the budget.

The legislature had ahead of the presentation decided to suspend nine out of the 24 member state assembly who were suspected to possibly challenge the document during and after presentation so that the process would go unchallenged.

This development plus the refusal of the member representing Kaura Namoda to participate in the unholy presentation left the assembly unfortunately for governor Dauda's proponents with less than two thirds members who cannot constitutionally pass any bill and therefore nullifying and voiding today's action. Even the 14 members that remained in the assembly were said to have dropped to eight according to one media source.

The APC in Zamfara therefore is calling on the governor, the state government and the state House of Assembly to immediately reverse the charade done today as well as apologize to the people in their own interest or we will seek legal redress by dragging them to court.

We are appealing to the nation's anti corruption agencies especially the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the total abuse of financial regulations by the governor's cabal to perpetuate illegallity in our dear state

Throughout the country, at this moment, there's no state assembly that has suspended about half of its members, even the crisis in Rivers state cannot compare to this situation.

But the Zamfara Assembly has suspended eight  members since February 2024, who have now remained under the illegal suspension for good 10 months while their salaries and allowance are being shared among the Principal officers of the House of Assembly under the watchful eyes of the Speaker, Bilyaminu Moriki   for which we will also ensure that all what is legally due is retrieved according to law. 

However the minority leader of the House Hon. Aliyu Ango was indirectly suspended where all his entitlements were also seized.

Under the House Standing Rules, you can only suspend a member for not more than two weeks, which is equivalent to eight legislative days, thus making this one a gross violation, moreso when the affected members have not been receiving their salaries and allowances nor were they given fair hearing to appear before the house Ethics and Preveleges Committee over the matter for which they were suspended and  without recourse to the fact that their respective constituencies are not represented at crucial decisions like the annual budget for ten months now.

The governor must know that governance is done according to constitutional provision not personal interests and abusing the constitutional rights of others, all these will boomerang on him even before the end of his tenure.

This statement was signed and issued to newsmen in Gusau by Yusuf Idris Gusau, APC Publicity Secretary Zamfara State.