Nasarawa lawmakers order a three-month Lafia Chairman Suspension over his alleged role in a legislative impeachment crisis
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has ordered a three-month Lafia Chairman Suspension, removing Mohammad Haliru-Arabo, Chairman of Lafia Local Government Council, from office over his alleged involvement in the impeachment crisis unsettling the council’s legislative arm.
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The decision was announced on Tuesday by Speaker Danladi Jatau after a motion of public importance was moved by Musa Ibrahim-Abubakar, Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, during plenary in Lafia.
Danladi Jatau said the suspension was essential to allow an impartial investigation into the events surrounding the controversial impeachment of the Speaker of the Lafia Legislative Council.
He warned that unchecked tensions could jeopardise stability in both the council and the state capital.
Jatau explained that the situation posed a significant threat to public order and insisted that decisive action was required to protect the integrity of local governance.
He directed Uba Arikiya, Deputy Chairman of Lafia LGA, to immediately assume leadership until the investigation is concluded.
The Speaker further instructed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to Governor Abdullahi Sule without delay.
Contributing lawmakers, including Dr Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim, Mohammed Garba Isimbabi, Suleiman Yakubu Azara, and Larry Ven-Bawa, unanimously backed the suspension.
They argued that Haliru-Arabo acted unlawfully by interfering in legislative matters and publicly announcing the impeachment, which they said sharply heightened political tension.
Ibrahim-Abubakar cautioned that such interference could trigger a broader crisis if not addressed swiftly, stressing that only the legislative arm has authority over its internal procedures.
The Assembly also resolved that the current leadership structure of the Lafia Legislative Council would remain intact pending the outcome of the probe.
In a separate development, lawmakers passed the first reading of a bill to repeal and re-enact the Nasarawa State Harmonization and Administration of Revenue Law.
The bill, introduced by Majority Leader Suleiman Yakubu Azara and seconded by Minority Leader Luka Iliya Zhekaba, is scheduled for second reading on 16 December 2025.
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The House adjourned after unanimously approving the bill’s progression.
