Zamfara lawmaker escapes attack after opposing Commissioner-nominee

Supporters of some politicians nearly lynched the member representing Talata-Mafara North constituency in Zamfara State, Hon. Shamsudden Hassan, on Thursday, during the screening exercise of two commissioner-nominees sent to the House of Assembly by Governor Bello Matawalle for screening.

Hon. Hassan was challenging the nomination of one of the nominees, Hajiya Rabi Ibrahim Shinkafi, who served as a special adviser in the state under Governor Matawalle.

The lawmaker vehemently disagreed with her new appointment to serve as a commissioner in Matawalle’s cabinet, stressing that she was a total failure in her previous office.

He said, “If the House is to screen her based on her previous performance, she will not scale through because she has scored zero.”

But before he finished his observation, some youths who were in the gallery of the House descend heavily on him, throwing all sorts of insulting words, telling him to shut up his mouth or face severe consequences.

Some angry youths had wanted to come down from the gallery to attack the lawmaker if not for the quick intervention of the security personnel working in the House.

Sequel to this, the House has banned supporters of political nominees from attending its plenaries.

In a press statement, the Director-General, Press Affairs and Public Relations of the House, Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, said, “Apparently not satisfied with the unruly behaviour of supporters of government nominees that usually escort them to the House for screening, the House has today resolved to ban supporters from attending its plenaries at the gallery.

“After much deliberations and debate on the matter by the Hon members, Speaker Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya while condemning the act by these hoodlums consoled with his colleagues and apologised to them for the disgrace they received from the political thugs.”