Kwara Assembly Members Took Oath To Back Danladi’s Governorship Ambition, Abandoned Oversight, Says Suspended Lawmaker Gideon Yisa

Ilorin, Kwara State– A suspended member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saba Gideon Yisa, representing the Edu Constituency, has alleged that 21 lawmakers in the Assembly took an oath to support the governorship ambition of the Speaker, Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi.

He accused the legislature of abandoning its constitutional responsibilities and operating without any clear economic or security agenda.

Gideon made the allegations on Saturday while speaking with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during a press briefing over what he described as his “illegal suspension” from the House.

According to the embattled lawmaker, the Kwara Assembly has failed in its oversight responsibilities for more than three years, insisting that lawmakers no longer scrutinise government projects or policies as required by law.

“There is no economic agenda, there is no security agenda, despite the level of insecurity in the state,” Gideon said.

“We have not even gone for oversight functions since over three years now in the Assembly. In my own local government, I have never seen a Speaker or any delegation come to oversee projects approved by the governor.”

He further alleged that the Assembly had been reduced to a rubber-stamp institution, claiming that lawmakers only sit to pass bills forwarded by the executive without any independent legislative vision.

“What keeps us busy in the Assembly is the work, the bills, everything the governor brings. After that, we don’t have a legislative agenda,” he said. “There is no economic agenda, there is no security, there is nothing.”

Gideon  also faulted the process leading to his suspension, describing it as a gross violation of the House’s rules and privileges.

He explained that under the Assembly’s standing orders, no lawmaker can be suspended without due process, including a petition, investigation, and fair hearing by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

“We have rules, we have privileges,” he said.

“If any member is found guilty of misconduct, the first thing is to identify the offence. A petition must be read on the floor of the House and forwarded to the Speaker, who then refers it to the Committee of Ethics and Privileges for investigation and fair hearing.”

He added that even where a lawmaker is found culpable, the Speaker has no power to unilaterally impose a prolonged suspension.

“No Speaker has the right to suspend any lawmaker for three months. Even if a member is found guilty, the maximum is 48 hours,” Gideon said.

The suspended lawmaker also dismissed claims that the Assembly held closed-door sessions to justify disciplinary actions against him, insisting that no such sessions had ever taken place.

“They are even saying that since the inspection of this Assembly, we have never held a closed-door session,” he said.

“If they claim otherwise, they should bring out the date and the votes and proceedings to show that a closed-door session was held.”

Gideon further stated that lawmakers had abandoned their investigative role, which he said was meant to support good governance and assist the executive in delivering dividends of democracy.

“Even the legislature cannot approve projects,” he said.

“Our duty is to investigate and oversee, so that it will help the governor. But we do not even have a legislative agenda.”

He also accused  the Assembly leadership of fostering idleness among lawmakers, claiming that the absence of meaningful legislative work had reduced members to “gossiping and other things, majorly in the Speaker’s office.”