Honourable Tukur Bala Bodinga is the Speaker of the 10th Sokoto State House of Assembly. He represents Bodinga North Constituency. Two years down the line, he is not only presiding over a rancour-free House, but he has also led it very productively. Bodinga maintains a robust relationship with the other arms of government, especially with the Executive. In this interview with BELLO IBRAHIM, Bodinga speaks about the fundamental and constitutional functions of the Assembly, the challenge of managing the members of the Assembly, and other issues.
How has it been as the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly?
Glory be to Almighty Allah for giving us the wisdom and ability to successfully steer the affairs of the Sokoto State House of Assembly. As the Speaker, I understood very early and clearly that I am first amongst equals, so I knew I had to treat every member with utmost respect. This has helped manage the House. The stability and the focus of the House are 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 House leadership from the very outset adopted the principle of inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. Also, 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 a crisis.
What is the relationship between the House of Assembly and the Executive?
The relationship between the Executive and the Legislature is 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 united 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 governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, who has continuously treated the Honourable House as partners in progress and with utmost respect.
It’s 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 as partners but also 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.
That means the Sokoto State House of Assembly has no reason to complain…
Not at all, because the governor gives to Caesar what’s due to Caesar, 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.
What feedback mechanism does House have that helps it gauge the opinion of the people on its performance?
The House has quite a number of feedback mechanisms, including 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, in real time. We also maintain constituency offices with staff 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.
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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 practising zoning, a member elected in 2023 won’t spend beyond one term. The high turnout of members is a tragedy because it affects the capacity of the legislature. We need to do something about this.
How would you rate the current Sokoto State House of Assembly?
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 interests 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 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 necessary, we have effected amendments to the budget estimates and other bills after public hearings. The point is that we don’t have a monopoly on knowledge, and we are grateful to the governor for sharing 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.
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 the 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 House 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.
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?
The governor has made 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 necessary.
What are the accomplishments of the 10th House of Assembly to date?
The House in the last two years has passed 25 bills, of which 22 were assented to by the governor. The remaining three will soon be transmitted to the governor for assent.
Do the outstanding bills include that on mandatory and compulsory pre-marital 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’s 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 holiday, 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 organise working visits to other State 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.
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 a study tour to states with similar bodies. This tremendously helped us in crafting the bill, and the governor wasted no time assenting to 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.
The opposition has accused the governor of not doing much in terms of security. What is your take on this?
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.
Meaning it is 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 as the 2027 elections draw closer. On his part the governor will remain focused on delivering projects.
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 justifications 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.
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 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, I 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.
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.
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.
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 the 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 he 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.
Message to 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 the legislature would continue to work for them. In 2024, the government delivered over 250 projects, and in 2025, the governor is even more determined to positively touch their lives. They should continue to support and pray for 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.