Governor Aliyu By-passes Defected Deputy, Asks Speaker To Act In His Stead

Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has again expressed his discontentment with the decision of his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC. This was as the Governor on Wednesday by-passed his deputy to appoint Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barrister Adamu Usman as the Acting Governor while he embarked on a 10-day journey to Saudi Arabia.

Dr Aliyu gave the directive for Speaker Usman to oversee the affairs of the state as the acting governor in a letter of notification he signed and sent to the State Assembly, notifying the House that his trip to Saudi Arabia was for lesser Hajj.

The Governor and his deputy have been embroiled in a row since the deputy governor decamped to the APC even though the Governor at that time said he had no problem with the defection. Just last week, he banned his embattled deputy from attending state executive council meetings, stating that he does not trust the deputy governor as he may give confidential information to the opposition.

In the letter, Governor Aliyu wrote, “I wish to inform Mr. Speaker, that I intend to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the Lesser Hajj between 19th-26th Febuary, 2015.

“In my absence, the Honourable Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Adamu Usman will oversee my schedules as the acting governor.”

However, the Governor failed to adduce any reason why the deputy governor was not directed to oversee the affairs of the state as the acting governor in his absence.(Daily Post)