Niger State Assembly Suspends Session Over APC Primary Election Fallout

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Niger State House of Assembly is currently in crisis, a situation political observers attribute to the fallout from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election that selected the party’s candidates for the 2027 election.

In the primary, 19 of the 27 members of the house—including deputy speaker Mrs. Affiniki Dauda—lost their party tickets for the upcoming election.

The legislators blamed Governor Umar Bago for what they described as a betrayal, after he had promised that all would be returned without opposition.

They also accused the governor of failing to honor his pledge to provide financial support for their campaigns.

On Tuesday, the lawmakers brought their grievances to the plenary, where the majority, which still controls the house, refused to sit.

They demanded that “all unresolved issues” be addressed before the session could resume.

Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Kabir, the member for Chanchaga Local Government, stated that the house should suspend the plenary “until all unresolved issues with the executive are resolved.”

He added that history would not forgive them “if the house continues to allow pending issues with the executive to be swept under the carpet,” and warned that lawmakers must stop sending misleading signals to the public.

The motion was seconded by Alhaji Abdulrahman Gambo, the member for Borgu constituency.