By Aliyu Dangida

DUTSE—The Jigawa House of Assembly, yesterday, impeached its Speaker, Alhaji Idris Garba, and elected Alhaji Isa Idris of Gwaram constituency as the new Speaker.

Clerk of the house, Alhaji Hussaini Ali, earlier announced that he received an impeachment notice signed by 25 of the 30 assembly members, which he read on the floor of the house.

Ali disclosed that members of the assembly impeached the Speaker due to alleged high-handedness and power abuse.

The Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Ahmed Garba, presided over the sitting attended by 23 members.

Garba said 25 of the 30-member Assembly endorsed the impeachment notice, showing that it met the constitutional requirement of two-thirds.

“With this development, I hereby declare the seat of the Speaker vacant and a fresh election be conducted to elect the new Speaker,” he said.

Two members, Alhaji Isa Dutse of Dutse Municipal constituency and Isa Idris of Gwaram constituency, were nominated for the election to replace the impeached Speaker.

Idris defeated Dutse with 12 votes to six, while five members were indifferent.