Zamfara: Crisis deepens as assembly splits, bandits wreak havoc

The political crisis engulfing the Zamfara State House of Assembly deepened on Wednesday as two rival factions emerged, each claiming legitimacy and operating parallel legislative chambers. A breakaway group of ten suspended lawmakers convened at an undisclosed location, where they elected Hon. Bashar Aliyu Gummi (Gummi 1 constituency) as their speaker. The faction-comprising members from […]

The political crisis engulfing the Zamfara State House of Assembly deepened on Wednesday as two rival factions emerged, each claiming legitimacy and operating parallel legislative chambers.

A breakaway group of ten suspended lawmakers convened at an undisclosed location, where they elected Hon. Bashar Aliyu Gummi (Gummi 1 constituency) as their speaker.

The faction-comprising members from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-held a session addressing insecurity, economic hardship, and mass sacking of civil servants allegedly carried out by Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration.

Factional Speaker Gummi issued a one-month ultimatum to the governor to tackle rampant insecurity, including banditry and kidnapping, or face potential impeachment.

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He also called for the 2025 budget to be presented within the same period.

“The governor must act swiftly or face consequences,” Gummi warned, accusing the administration of misallocating public funds while ignoring critical issues like security and poverty alleviation.

He also criticised the government’s failure to visit victims of bandit attacks and highlighted the poor welfare of local security forces, including the Askarawa (state security guards).

The faction demanded the immediate reinstatement of over 4,000 civil servants allegedly sacked without due process and called for the payment of their outstanding salaries and entitlements.

In a swift response, Speaker Bilyaminu Moriki dismissed the Gummi-led faction’s actions as “illegal” and “unrecognised.”

Speaking to the press in Gusau, Moriki stressed that only one legitimate assembly exists in Zamfara and that sessions held outside the official chamber are null and void.

He cited a court order directing that the status quo be maintained and emphasised that one member of the rival group had already been declared to have vacated his seat, further questioning the legitimacy of the parallel assembly.

Zamfara’s House, originally composed of 24 members, has been reduced to 13 following the death of one member and the suspension of ten others.

The suspended lawmakers argue that the remaining members now lack the quorum necessary for valid legislative decisions. 

 

The root of the crisis

The crisis stems from a motion by Majority Leader Hon. Bello Mazawaje (PDP-Tsafe East), who accused the suspended lawmakers of breaching Assembly Order 10, Rule 9.

He alleged that on February 22, 2024, the group forcefully broke into the Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms’ offices in search of the mace and conducted an unauthorised sitting, blocking other members from accessing the chamber.

Supporting the motion, Deputy Speaker Hon. Adamu Aliyu (Gummi 2) and Hon. Rilwanu Marafa (Anka) described the incident as disgraceful, recommending disciplinary measures.

However, Minority Whip Hon. Nura Dahiru (APC-Birnin Magaji) urged a thorough investigation to ensure fairness and justice.

The assembly directed the state’s Directorate of Security Services (DSS) to investigate the matter and forward its findings to the Attorney General’s office.

In a letter dated March 7, 2024, signed by the Director of Administration, Faruk Bala, suspended lawmakers were instructed to return official vehicles within seven days.

At a press conference in Zaria, Kaduna State, the suspended lawmakers alleged threats to their lives, citing attacks on Hon. Shamsuddeen Hassan, Hon. Bashir Aliyu, and Hon. Abubakar Masama by alleged political thugs on February 23 and 24, 2024.

 

Legal and political fallout

The group has filed three cases-one at the Zamfara State High Court and two at the Federal High Court-seeking to enforce their fundamental rights, including liberty, dignity, movement, property, and fair hearing.

When contacted, the House Leader, Hon. Bello Mazawaje, firmly denied allegations that the lives of the suspended lawmakers were being threatened.

He argued that they were not the only politicians recently attacked by hoodlums, citing a similar incident involving the deputy speaker.

He said, “The lawmakers might have been attacked by the thugs for other reasons. But the attack on them has nothing to do with the issue at stake. Nobody sponsored the hoodlums to attack them-for what reason?”

On the issue of the lawmakers’ suspended cash allowances, Mazawaje defended the move, explaining that suspension automatically disqualifies a member from receiving such benefits.

“Yes, their allowances were suspended because, by law, they are not entitled to them while under suspension. After all, the cash allowance is a privilege. You cannot expect someone who is not entitled to certain rights to still enjoy privileges,” he added.

Responding to the accusation that some lawmakers were forced to sign undertakings before being reinstated or paid, Mazawaje explained the rationale, saying, “It’s obvious that if someone offends you, there must be a form of correction.

“We asked them to sign undertakings because you cannot just embrace someone who offends you without setting conditions. They participated in the illegal sitting and later realised their mistakes. They returned to us, and we gave them conditions to fulfil before getting their allowances.”

He added that the matter was still under investigation and that the truth would come to light once the process was complete.

 

Assembly crisis festers amid bandit attacks 

Meanwhile, Daily Trust observed that while lawmakers continue to battle over legislative legitimacy and personal rights, the state’s security situation worsens. 

Zamfara State remains gripped by banditry, with communities facing relentless attacks that result in loss of life and mass abductions. 

This week alone, 10 lives were lost, including that of Murtala Fachi, a member of the Community Protection Guards, in a series of brutal assaults across the state. 

On Tuesday, Fachi was killed alongside two others while travelling on the Anka-Gusau road while seven more fatalities were reported in separate attacks on Dolen Moriki and Kaiwa Lamba villages in Zurmi Local Government Area.

The killings follow a disturbing pattern of attacks in the state. In March 2024, Gidan Zuma village in Bungudu Local Government Area was attacked by armed men, resulting in 11 deaths and the abduction of 20 women and numerous children. 

Similarly, in December 2024, over 50 women and children were kidnapped from Kakin Dawa village in Maradun LGA during a night raid. 

Other incidents include the February 2024 attack on Makera village, Talata-Mafara LGA, which claimed nine lives and left 53 abducted, and the March 2024 assault on Gidan Zuma village, which resulted in 10 deaths and 12 abductions. 

More recently, in March 2025, bandits killed three individuals and abducted a district head along with 50 others in Bagega village.

Beyond the killings and kidnappings, residents are also being subjected to extortion by armed bandits demanding hefty levies in exchange for sparing their lives. 

These demands, backed by threats of violence or death, have plunged communities into fear and financial despair.

 

Assault on democracy

The political impasse took a new turn recently when the suspended lawmakers staged a protest in Abuja, labelling their suspension as an assault on democracy.

They declared all legislative decisions made by the remaining members as illegal and void. The lawmakers also criticised the declaration of the Minority Leader’s seat as vacant, describing it as unconstitutional.

Despite mounting protests, Zamfara’s security crisis remains dire. Entire communities are under siege by bandits, worsening an already fragile political climate.

At the time of filing this report, there had been no official response from the state government.

As the crisis deepens, the spotlight now shifts to the courts and the federal government to determine the fate of the Zamfara State House of Assembly and the legitimacy of its leadership struggle.