The Bauchi state government has suspended the inauguration of the state 9th assembly till June 20, the new Clerk of the Assembly, Umar Gital, has said.
The announcement and the new date effectively put on hold the inauguration that had earlier been scheduled to hold yesterday, June 17.
Gital, who issued a statement in Bauchi Monday, did not give any reason for the postponement, but said they regret all inconveniences caused to members and the general public.
However, in a swift reaction, the All Progressives Congress (APC) faulted the postponement, saying it was unconstitutional.
The party state secretary, Alhaji Bako Hussaini, said in a statement that Nigeria’s constitution did not empower a state governor to suspend assembly’s inauguration after a proclamation.
According to him, the action of the government was therefore undemocratic, null and void.
He added that APC has a clear majority in the 9th Assembly in the state with 22 members as against the ruling PDP with eight members, as such it “will not fold its arms to allow the ruling party do anything contrary to the Constitution of Nigeria.”
The APC scribe, therefore, called on security agencies to advise Governor Bala Mohammed to stop interfering with the affairs of the assembly and reinstate its former Clerk, who was removed few days to the inauguration.(NAN)
