Political Drama in Abuja: AMAC Speaker Mathew Yare Impeached; APC Councillor Elected in His Place
In an early-morning session on Monday, September 1, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Legislative Council voted to remove Hon. Mathew Danjuma Yare as Speaker. The session, presided over by the deputy speaker, ended with the formal announcement of Yare's impeachment and the immediate election of Hon. Ibrahim Jankaro (Kabusa Ward) as the new Speaker. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
How it unfolded: APC councillors — who now form the majority in the chamber — held a motion that was put to voice vote and carried by the “ayes.” After the motion, the council elected Jankaro, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member, to lead the house. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
According to statements from the newly elected presiding officer and other APC councillors, the impeachment was driven by simple arithmetic and the council’s standing orders: the APC bloc now outnumbers the PDP in the legislative arm, and they argued that the majority should occupy the leadership posts. Councillors pointed to the defection of AMAC chairman Christopher Maikalangu from the PDP to the APC earlier this year as a factor that altered the balance of power. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Reaction from the impeached speaker: Mathew Yare rejected the action, describing the proceedings as a breach of the council’s rules and claiming the purported impeachment was "null and void." In a statement he personally signed, Yare accused some colleagues of abusing standing procedures and insisted he remains the lawful Speaker until a transparent process is followed. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
What the APC camp said: After the change of leadership, Hon. Ibrahim Jankaro told journalists that the move was a normal democratic correction and within the council’s standing orders. APC councillors argued that the majority must be allowed to lead for the legislature to reflect the will of the council’s dominant party. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Broader context: The shift in AMAC’s legislative leadership follows months of local political realignments. Observers say such changes are not unusual in local councils where party defections and shifting alliances can quickly change the makeup of small legislative bodies — and prompt leadership contests. The episode has already drawn attention from national and local media, and some residents and activists are calling for calm while legal and procedural questions are clarified. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
- TheCable — "AMAC legislative council impeaches speaker, elects new presiding officer". :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
- DailyTrust — "FCT: Leadership crisis in AMAC legislative council". :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
- TheAbujaInquirer — "Why we removed AMAC Speaker — Jankaro". :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}