Impeached speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Alhaji Usman Gangara (PDP, Giwa East), and his deputy, Dogara Mato (PDP, Lere), have rejected their removal from office saying their impeachment was 'illegal.'
Alhaji Gangara made this statement during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, secretariat in Kaduna hours after their impeachment by 19 of the 34 lawmakers.
According him, the action of their fellow state lawmakers on Monday was wrong.
"I am still the speaker because the house that impeached me is not in session and the action taken today is Illegal," Alhaji Gangara said.
Gangara was removed from office, yesterday, by 19 out of the 34-member legislature, during a sitting in which both the speaker and his deputy, Dogara Matoh, were absent.
The lawmakers, headed by Mr Phelimon Gidanmana (PDP-Makera), also announced the appointment of Alhaji Shehu Tahir (PDP-Giwa West), as the new Speaker.
Monday's impeachment climaxed previous attempts to impeach the speaker and his deputy by their colleagues since August, forcing the House leadership to agree to a 30-day ultimatum within which to change its style of leadership to accommodate all members.
The ultimatum had expired on September 14, and the aggrieved members said there had been no changes since the deadline.
The motion for the removal of the speaker, tabled by Gidanmana and seconded by Yakubu Soja (APC-Zaria Kewaye), was unanimously adopted by the members.
In his acceptance speech, the new speaker said the task before him was to reinvigorate the assembly for maximum result.
He pledged to guide the House into making laws that would promote "peace, unity and good governance in the state".
While pledging to work closely with the executive and the judiciary, Tahir said the members would also perform their oversight responsibilities with diligence.
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