Rt. Hon. Tukur Bala Bodinga, is the Speaker of the 10th Sokoto State House of Assembly. Bodinga represents Bodinga North Constituency. He was first elected member in 2019. He was unanimously elected Speaker by his fellow members due to their implicit confidence in his capacity to effectively lead the House.
Two years down the road, he has not only kept the House very quiet, but has also led it very productively. Hon. Bodinga, has also maintained a robust relationship with the other arms of government, especially with the all powerful Executive.
In this syndicated interview Rt. Hon. Bodinga spoke about the fundamental and constitutional functions of the Assembly which is to enact new laws, amend or repeal existing laws and carry out a diligent oversight of the executive,the challenge of managing the members of the Assembly. And how the House to date has been able to pass 25 consequential bills,including the very thoughtful bill on Mandatory and Compulsory premarital medical screening, the bill to curb extravagances in marriage and many others.
How has it been as the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly?
Alhamdulillah. Glory be to Almighty Allah for giving us the wisdom and ability to successfully steer the affairs of the Sokoto State House of Assembly. So far so good. As Speaker, I understood very early and clearly that I am first amongst equals, so I knew I had treat every member with utmost respect. And the other key functionaries of the House, the Deputy Speaker, and the other principal officers of the House equally understood this fact and this has been helpful in managing the House. The stability and the focus of the House is attributable to the fact that every member understands that as representatives of the people that we must take our constitutional responsibilities seriously….these have largely made my job of leading the House very easy. I remain eternally grateful to them.
The other factor is that the House leadership from the very outset adopted the principle of inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. And the fact that we see every member as a stakeholder in the development of our dear state, even if he is of the minority party. The majority would have their way,but the minority would have their say. Again the members have exhibited a high degree of responsibility. We have informal conversations and share opinions and these have helped us in building consensus on issues that ordinarily would have precipitated crisis.
What is the working relationship between the House of Assembly and the Executive Branch, led by Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto. Does the governor see the House as a partner in the development of the state. Let me use this cliche’… does the Governor carry the House of Assembly along?
Alhamdulillah. The relationship between the Executive and the Legislature is very very cordial and it’s the same with the Judiciary,even though our interaction for obvious reasons is limited. We are three arms of government with different roles, but married by the constitution to work in harmony for the good of the people. We are partners in progress,who must work together in the overall interest of our people. A lot of credit for the smooth working relationship goes to the Executive under the able and inspiring leadership of His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto who has continuously treated the Honourable House as partners in progress and with utmost respect. The governor in spite of his enormous power consults us and he always carries us along because he understands that we are partners in the Sokoto State project.
It’s a welcoming news that the Governor sees the Sokoto State House of Assembly as partners because in other states the story is different?
I won’t be dragged into commenting about other Houses because I don’t know the factors responsible for their failure to work together. In Sokoto State, Governor Sokoto not only sees us partners but values our contribution. In return we have always ensured that by our actions and contributions that we earn his respect and this is very important for any House of Assembly.
Clearly the Sokoto State House of Assembly which you lead has no reason to complain?
Not at all, because the governor gives to Ceaser what’s due to Ceaser and like they say respect is reciprocal- so we equally respect him as the Chief Executive and he in return respects us as the legislature – the representatives of the people. We are satisfied with the way he is running the state and the fact that he consults widely. The governor takes our advice collectively and individually because he relates with us. We have no reason to complain….the governor is not arrogant and that has helped a lot.
Speaker as the representatives of the people, what feedback mechanism does the House have that helps it gauge the opinion of the people on its performance. Do you hold town hall meetings where you engage them on your activities?
The House has quite a number of feedback mechanisms..public hearings, town hall meetings, we also have a website where every member can be reached by his or her constituents. It’s a functional and interactive website,so members of our various constituencies interact with us online, real time. We also maintain constituency offices with staffs whose duties include bringing to our attention issues affecting our communities. Without the people we can’t be members. So we have several ways of communicating with the people. And this is something we take very seriously. Any politician that takes the people for granted will certainly be a one term member,because the people are well informed contrary to the impression of some people. And being grassroots people we meet during weddings,funerals and we always have conversations. They also know that they can present bills through their members. The feedback mechanism is working well. And we are very happy.
In the 10th House of Assembly, how many of your members returned from 2019?
More than 16 members came back from the 2019 set. It’s important to stress that some members for personal reasons decided not to seek re-election, some members died and of course some didn’t get their party ticket to contest in 2023. So the number of those who returned goes to show that we are truly in tune with our people. The casualty rate is not as bad as that of the National Assembly. However, Nigerians must understand that there are several other reasons why many members don’t go back. For instance in some constituencies practice zoning,a member elected in 2023 won’t spend beyond one term. The high turnout of members is a tragedy because it affects the capacities of the legislature. We need to do something about this.
Can you in all honesty say that the Sokoto State House of Assembly has effectively represented the interests of all citizens of Sokoto State?
Yes, I can beat my chest that we have and the evidence is in our work which is obvious. And I am happy that the governor and the people agree that we have always stood by them and solidly aligned ourselves with the interest of the state. Though for some Nigerians,a harmonious relationship means that the legislature has been compromised. On the whole the Sokoto State House of Assembly has kept its covenant with the people of Sokoto State.
Are there laws that the executive wanted passed and the House refused because it’s not in the interest of the people. And then in terms of debating the budget estimates, are there issues that you have included or removed and the executive accepted it in good faith?
First, it’s important for Nigerians to understand that the annual budgets for instance are essentially estimates submitted by the executive arm and which the House has a constitutional responsibility to legislate on, before it can become a law. So when absolutely necessary we have effected amendments to the budget estimates and other bills after public hearings. The point is that we don’t have monopoly of knowledge and we are grateful to the governor for sharing in this fact. In the case of budget estimates, what the executive usually presents to us is a draft estimate which we debate, and subject to scrutiny and after necessary amendment(s) we pass and forward to the governor for his signature. In Sokoto State, we work as a team,there is a lot of constant consultations and because we understand the governor’s position – the development of Sokoto State- we are able to work in harmony. I repeat again that Governor Sokoto in spite of his enormous powers is a democrat.
Did the House tinker with some laws and the budget to show that it is not a rubber stamp legislature?
Absolutely no. Again let me fundamentally address the issue of rubber stamp legislature. The Sokoto State House of Assembly has never subjected any bill to unnecessary amendments just to prove a point. I must also commend the executive for sending us well researched and crafted bills. In fairness to the governor, he is always ready to listen to our opinion. For instance during the debate on the 2025 budget we discovered that some important areas were not included- an oversight and we pointed this out and the governor was very okay with our observations. I think it’s essentially a matter of approach. And this has reduced areas of friction. Thankfully,there hasn’t been any issue that we haven’t been able to amicably resolve because of the good communication between both branches.
And you carry out your oversight functions?
The Sokoto State House of Assembly takes its oversight functions very seriously. We have a responsibility on behalf of the people to effectively monitor the executive on behalf of our people. It’s a sacred mandate. I don’t think there’s any other house that gives priority to its oversight functions like this assembly. I must commend my colleagues because they take this and every assignment very seriously. We religiously ensure that we monitor the executive,even though the executive governor has made our assignment a lot easier for us by appointing very serious minded people into positions. And for being a man that believes in the Rule of Law.
How about funding?
We are not autonomous. But the house is well funded.
Do the commissioners and other appointees appear before the House when summoned?
Again, I must thank the governor for making it abundantly clear to his appointees that they must promptly honour our invitations. It’s mandatory and on our part we only invite them when it’s absolutely necessary.
Let’s talk about the accomplishments of the 10th House of Assembly. To date,how many bills has the House under your leadership passed?
Alhamdulillah. The Honourable House in the last two years has passed 25 bills, of which 22 of have been assented to by the governor. The remaining three will soon be transmitted to the governor for assent.
Does the outstanding bills include that on Mandatory and Compulsory premarital medical screening. And would you say that you have achieved your major legislative priorities for the current session of the House?
Yes, and it’s important to stress that the bill is a private member bill. Yes, we have substantially achieved our major legislative goals for this year. And we are satisfied with our performance. So far, so good. But if something comes up and we are on holidays we will immediately report for duty. Once the executive sends a bill to us, we have no choice because every issue touches on the life of our electorate directly.
Do your members regularly get trained. And do you organize working visits to other States Houses of Assembly?
We take capacity building for our members as seriously as we take our assignments as lawmakers. We don’t joke with training. Members must constantly and continuously improve themselves because the world is in a constant state of change. Take cyber security threats, Artificial Intelligence … members must have a good understanding of these developments to be able to fashion out legislative solutions to them. Each quarter,our members and staff of the assembly who provide us with the necessary support to function are sent for training. And again we must thank His Excellency and our development partners who have ensured that we are adequately equipped to perform our responsibilities.
Was the Sokoto State Community Security Corps bill an executive bill and was it a challenge?
Yes. That’s another consequential bill that we passed, and we rose to the challenge because the House of Assembly is about the welfare and security of the people. Once the governor intimated us about his plans we quickly went to work. We immediately sent some members on study tour to states with similar bodies. This tremendously helped us in crafting the bill and the governor wasted no time assenting the bill. This is what synergy is all about.
Are you satisfied with the contribution of the Sokoto State Community Corps to the security of the people?
Yes, because the members of the corps are from the communities being harassed by these insurgents they are giving it their all. The other advantage is that they know the terrain. We lost five gallant members of the corps in the line of duty. The governor’s main objective of creating the corps is to complement the security agencies. And they have been providing the security agencies with credible intelligence which they find extremely useful. They have lived up to our expectations.
The opposition have accused the governor of not doing much in terms of security. Is this true?
I don’t think the opposition elements have been fair to the governor who has been up and doing on the issue of insecurity confronting the state and indeed the other North-West states. By the way you don’t expect the opposition to be fair to the government. There are certain security actions that for obvious reasons I can’t disclose. But it’s public knowledge that the state government has provided the security agencies with critical logistics support – over 140 buffalo vehicles, and thousands of motorcycles. The governor built a military base at Illela for the army because it would help in the war against the bandits. There is also financial support for the security agencies. The noticeable reduction in the activities of these bandits is because of the huge investment of the Sokoto state government and the determination of the governor to secure our people. Governor Sokoto has never held back his support for the security agencies, because the people being killed are his citizens. He is very responsible and alive to his duty. He is up and doing in terms of security and he’s doing well. All that he needs is the continued support and encouragement from the people and the press.
So it’s political when they say the governor is not doing enough?
It’s highly political. And we expect them to increase the volume of their falsehoods with the 2027 elections drawing closer. On his part the governor will remain focused in delivering projects. Recently he completed the old airport water supply project which was started by our father Senator Aliyu Wamakko. Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto has completed two water projects so far because he cares about the people.
Let’s talk about other specific bills. Recently the House passed a bill mandating compulsory pre-marital medical screening for intending couples.Under the proposed law intending couples must undergo tests for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, sickle cell, genotype, and other related health conditions before marriage. How have the people received this bill- has there been a push back. What informed the decision of the House to pass the bill and has the governor signed it?
The bill has been passed by the House, but it is yet to be transmitted to the governor for his signature,so it is not yet a law. What informed the passage of the bill by the House is the social and health challenges that the society is facing as a result of the failure of intending couples to carry out these tests. Science has helped us to know that if two people with AS genotypes marry that there is a very high probability of them having sickle cell children – and this would be a huge stress to the family and the society. It’s the same with HIV/AIDS…so these are the justification for the bill. It’s to help save families and society from the trauma and stigma associated with these issues. The legislation has been well received by the public. And I must confess that the support of critical stakeholders like the health personnel, traditional and religious leaders have been overwhelming. We have no doubt that the governor will sign the bill once we transmit it to him.
That’s a very thoughtful bill. And is it the same with the bill to curb extravagant marriages?
They are two different bills. We all live in the same society and so we are very much aware of the happenings. We also have daughters, and sisters and we know how very extravagant demands have become an obstacle to our children marrying. The high cost of marriage is simply unacceptable to us. And to show that we mean business some members of the House are leading the way by insisting on moderate marriage ceremonies for their children- they are not interested in the grooms gifting their daughters 20 boxes of clothes,gold etc and having expensive receptions. That era is past. We want them to marry and be happy. We are opposed to extravagancy in marriages and the negative social impact on society. Together with the law on pre-marital medical screening for intending couples we hope to restore some sanity. There is no doubt that the high cost of marriage is behind some of the societal crisis we are confronted with.
Now we have the minimum bride price and the number of boxes a groom can present. The sponsor of the bill started with his own children that recently got married. He made it absolutely clear that he is more interested in them having a happy marriage than the grooms presenting them with expensive gifts ….we need a re-orientation on this issue and we are counting on parents and religious leaders to help ensure that the message is reenforced. This will definitely help young people of marriageable age to marry since the cost of marriage has been drastically reduced. We look forward to seeing them marry and build their homes.
Mr. Speaker, last year the Sokoto State House of Assembly passed some consequential amendments: the Sokoto State Discrimination Against Persons with Disability Law,Sokoto State Local Government 2009 Law, Land Tenancy, Zakat and Rural Roads. Unfortunately, that of the local government generated some controversy.
This goes to prove that the Sokoto State House of Assembly is a very productive assembly. Like they say when you want to kill a dog you give it a bad name,so to derail the good intentions of the governor the opposition went to town that the amendment was targeted at the Sultan of Sokoto,as a prelude to his deposition. Unfortunately based on their mischief and falsehoods they succeeded in overheating the polity. The laws that we passed include the the Discrimination against Persons with Disability Commission’s Law, the Zakat and Endowment Commission’s Law, the Tenancy Control and Safety of Persons Commission Law, which by their functions can only function as agencies of government and not as commissions like the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice said in his presentation during the consideration of the amendment to the bills.
The amendment was absolutely necessary in order to bring these laws into conformity with the Nigerian Constitution. And the House wholeheartedly agreed with his submission and that of other stakeholders. After the local government bill was passed, am happy the people finally understood that they were misled by the opposition despite our efforts to convince them that the bill had nothing to do with the Chieftaincy Appointment and Deposition Law, which is the one that relates to the removal of the Sultan.
Thankfully, we stood our ground and everyone is enjoying the benefits of all the bills that we have passed. As a result of the rural roads law the governor has been able to construct several roads. Those roads wouldn’t have been possible without the instrumentality of the law. As part of the activities marking the governor’s impactful two years anniversary, the 7.7 km Gande–Male–Gwahitto–Fako Road, executed under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) was recently commissioned. They mounted a similar campaign against the Zakat agency, that we are going to remove the chairman of Zakat Agency, again he is still there. The amendment of the local government law changed the tenure of the Chairmen and Councillors from two to three years.
For a governor who ran on a 9- Point Smart Agenda that includes Local Government Autonomy this amendment was very important to him. The governor has no doubt that the council chairmen can deliver if given the right support. In all honesty what can an elected chairman achieve in two(2) years? The answer is no, and this explains why the governor deemed it necessary to increase their tenure to enable them initiate and execute projects. The last administration changed the law to two years in 2016, before that amendment the tenure was three years.
The other amendment was to Section 13, and Section 14 which is in respect of purchase of nomination forms for the Chairmanship and councilorship positions. The executive thought it better to give the State Independent Electoral Commission the power to determine the amount to be paid for nominations forms. The other amendment was in respect of Section 76 of the Local Government Law as it relates to the functions of the Sultanate Council in the appointment of districts and villages heads. The Attorney General enlightened the people of the state during the Public Hearing, that under the Nigerian constitution, executive powers are vested in the governor, and that it’s the governor that can appoint,while the Sultanate Council can only recommend. We have been vindicated by the outcome.
But what lesson did you learn from that amendment to the local government law of 2009?
The big lesson for the House was the need for us to constantly consult critical stakeholders and to be always guided by public good. Again we have always known that while we can’t please everyone, that we should continue to focus on the interest of the majority and our conscience. So we have no apology for carrying out our constitutional responsibilities that our people elected us to discharge. Once we are convinced that an issue is in the greater interest of the people we don’t look back. Remember that members also subscribed to the oath of allegiance and oath of office. I must thank the governor who has been very supportive. He allowed the House of Assembly to do its job, and refused to mount pressure on the House. He stood firm and that’s what leadership is all about. Once Governor Ahmad Sokoto is convinced about the rightness of his position on any issue he doesn’t look back and you must have a superior argument to get him to change his mind. He understands politics…assuming the opposition had succeeded in derailing this particular amendment they would have used similar tactics to stop other well intended projects. I can tell you for free that at all times the interest of the majority is paramount in whatever decision the governor makes.
Mr Speaker, you relate closely with Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto. What’s your honest impression of the governor?
He is a good man, firm and decisive. Highly religious and principled. The governor is calm, and a good listener,who also consults widely before taking any decision. He’s a democrat and he takes his assignment as governor seriously. For him the people elected him to be governor and that’s what he is committed to doing…bettering the life of the people is his preoccupation. He is focused on his assignment and he is giving it his all. The governor has more than justified his election and this is a general consensus of the people.
Can Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto hurt a fly?
Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto is a complete gentleman who can’t hurt a fly. When I say that he is a gentleman, I mean that he is a complete gentleman in every sense of the word. But at the same time, when you try to cross your boundaries, he can show you his other side especially when it comes to issues about the development of the state. The opposition have been insulting him, but he has always ignored them because he understood that their ploy was to distract him. And this is the secret of his superlative performance.
Everyone says that Governor Sokoto has done extremely well. As a House, do you deserve to share in the accolades the governor has been receiving?
Yes, because we have provided the necessary legislative support that has enabled him accomplish all that he has achieved. We deserve to because we are partners in progress. Anything that has to do with the development of the state, we have always supported the governor. Look at the Katin Sauki ( buy cheap shop) that he opened for public servants and pensioners -it’s a policy driven by the governor’s concern for the poor. The foodstuffs that are sold in the shop are subsidized by 20%. How can we in good conscience not support the governor over such a laudable programme?
Mr. Speaker if you agree that Governor Sokoto has done fantastically well, why hasn’t the Sokoto State House of Assembly moved a motion that Governor Sokoto should run unopposed as APC’s candidate in the 2027 gubernatorial election?
The House will soon pass a vote of confidence on the superlative performance of the governor. The vote of confidence, is the Sokoto State House of Assembly’s way of saying that the His Excellency is doing fantastically well and that he deserves another term in order to complete the good job that he has started for the state. One good term, deserves another.
What message do you have for the people of Sokoto State?
This is a very big one. All I can say is that we owe the people of Sokoto State a bouquet of thanks for their unwavering support. They have been extremely wonderful in their support and that has made governance a lot easier for the governor and indeed for everyone. Because they have been supportive in return the government- the executive and legislature would continue to work for them.
In 2024 the government delivered over 250 projects and in 2025 the governor is clearly even more determined to positively touch their lives. They should continue to support and pray for the Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto’s administration. They have seen what he can do …he is not a propaganda governor and he means well for Sokoto state. He is a compassionate leader, whose agenda is the development of Sokoto State.
