The crisis rocking Zamfara State House of Assembly deepened weekend, as a parrallel group has elected a new Speaker.
The group, opposed to Governor Dauda Lawal elected Hon. Bashar Aliyu Gummi as Speaker.
They are made up of the suspended members of the House of Assembly.
Although it is uncertain where and when the election took place, it was announced in a statement issued by the spokesman of the group, Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South Constituency in the House.
The faction declared that, "No amount of intimidation from the State government, including the use of some so-called politically twisted courts or legal officers, can derail our focused leadership.
"We are aware of the malicious actions against us by the State government and have written petitions against the Dauda Lawal-led administration to security agencies both at the State and national levels and approached stakeholders who mean well to both the State and our good people on all the situation and flagrant abuse of law by the other faction of the state House of Assembly under Hon. Bilyaminu Moriki l, which suspended some of us for over a year now without recourse to the constitution and the law.
"We are also aware and in possession of recorded planned attack on us and our families by some thugs close to the governor and have alerted the security on these, in case anything happens to any of us (individually or collectively).
"While the State government mandated some past leaders of the State House of Assembly to meet and discuss with us towards resolving the crisis and while we have a pending case at the Appeal Court, Sokoto, it hurriedly went to a lower court to seek for our arrest without any charge which was wrongly granted by presiding Justice Halima Jaafar Mikaila who decided to treat us as criminals.
"Because it was haphazardly processed, one of the dates on the said court order is even reading the year 2024, while Justice Halima Jaafar Mikaila who prides herself as a legal officer failed to even indicate who she ordered to arrest us, unless if she meant the arrest to be carried out by the governor's attack squad mentioned above.
"Our stance on the respect to the rule of law by all arms of government in the state remains unshaken, we are not afraid of all the threats, nor shall we be deterred on our mandate."