The former Deputy Chairman of Shira Local Government in Bauchi State, Adamu Usman Bamaraya, has gone to court over his removal from office. He wants to be given his job back, stop the planned by-election, and get compensation for being sacked.
Speaking to journalists, Bamaraya said he was not given any chance to defend himself before being removed. According to him, this goes against what is written in the Local Government Law and the Nigerian Constitution.
Bamaraya said he only found out about his dismissal through a Facebook post. The post, which was signed by a local councillor, explained that both the chairman and his deputy had been removed from office.
He also claimed that some political stakeholders tried to force him to resign. When he refused, the police arrested him and locked him up in a correctional centre for seven days without trial. He was only released after getting bail.
Later, Bamaraya discovered that a by-election was scheduled for May 24, 2025, to choose new leaders for Shira Local Government. This election is meant to replace both him and the chairman.
Because of this, Bamaraya decided to file a lawsuit against the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) to stop the by-election from happening. He is also asking the court to punish those responsible for his arrest and detention.
The case he filed lists the Shira Local Government Council, the Bauchi State House of Assembly, BASIEC, and all Shira councillors as defendants.
Back on March 3, 2025, the Shira Legislative Council removed both the Chairman, Abdullahi Ibrahim Beli, and Bamaraya. They were accused of things like misconduct, mismanaging money, not doing their duties, and abusing their positions.
After they were sacked, BASIEC announced a by-election for May 24, 2025, to fill the empty positions of chairman and deputy chairman.
BASIEC’s chairman, Ahmed Makama, said they received official notice that the offices were vacant. So, they are required by law to hold an election within 14 days of the notice.
He added that the Bauchi State Electoral Law (2008) says that once a position is declared vacant, a by-election must be held within two weeks.
