The majority leader of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Saleh Hodi, has resigned his seat as the lawmaker representing Disina Constituency to contest the forthcoming Shira Local Government chairmanship election.
Hodi’s resignation was announced by the Speaker of the Assembly, Abubakar Sulaiman, during plenary on Wednesday in Bauchi.
According to the Speaker, the House received a formal letter from Hodi notifying it of his decision to vacate the seat following his emergence as the chairmanship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) for Shira Local Government.
“The House received a letter from the Honourable Saleh Hodi formally notifying us of his resignation as the member representing Disina Constituency.
“The resignation followed the decision of the Allied People’s Movement to nominate him as its candidate for the Shira Local Government chairmanship election,” Sulaiman said.
Hodi, who has served in the Assembly since his first election in 2019, used his farewell remarks to express appreciation to the Speaker, his colleagues and constituents for their support throughout his tenure.
He also thanked stakeholders in Shira Local Government and Governor Bala Mohammed for the confidence reposed in him, promising to deliver on his mandate if elected chairman.
Hodi said his time in the Assembly had been memorable, noting that he was grateful for the opportunity to represent his constituents and contribute to the development of Bauchi State.
He added that, if elected chairman, he would work to surpass the expectations of the people of Shira Local Government.
Following his resignation, the Speaker announced the nomination of Auwal Yana, who represents the constituency, as the new Majority Leader.
Sulaiman said Yana’s emergence followed a meeting of the APM Executive Council convened to fill the leadership vacancy created by Hodi’s resignation.
The Speaker also paid tribute to the outgoing Majority Leader, describing their relationship as one that had developed beyond the confines of legislative duties.
“Our relationship has gone beyond that of colleagues to that of family. We’ve treated one another like biological brothers, and I appreciate your contributions to this House,” Sulaiman said.
Other lawmakers similarly commended Hodi for his patience, dedication and selfless service, describing him as a role model and wishing him success in the forthcoming chairmanship election.
In his acceptance speech, Yana expressed gratitude to God, party stakeholders and Governor Mohammed for entrusting him with the responsibility of serving as one of the principal officers of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission has fixed August 17, 2026, for the conduct of local government elections across the state.
The commission said chairmanship elections would take place in 19 of Bauchi State’s 20 local government areas, while councillorship elections would be conducted across all 20 LGAs.
A notice signed by BASIEC’s Information Officer, Ishiyaku Adamu, explained that the notice complies with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that such announcements must be made at least 360 days before the scheduled election date.
It recalled that although Section 28 of the Act directly applies to elections organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it said the same applies to State Independent Electoral Commission (SEIC).
“The Supreme Court had, in its February 20, 2025 judgment on Rivers State, ruled that the provision constitutes a binding standard for all state electoral bodies as well,” the notice said.
BASIEC said that Governor Bala Mohammed, in demonstrating his commitment to upholding the rule of law, approved and directed the commission to strictly adhere to the Act by formally declaring the election date.
