The Majority Leader of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Saleh Hodi, has resigned from the Assembly to contest the forthcoming chairmanship election in Shira Local Government Area.
Hodi, who represents Disina Constituency, resigned during the Assembly’s plenary on Wednesday after serving as a lawmaker since 2019.
The Speaker of the House, Abubakar Sulaiman, announced the resignation after receiving Hodi’s letter.
Sulaiman said Hodi resigned after the Allied People’s Movement (APM) chose him as its candidate for the Shira Local Government chairmanship election.
He said, “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.”
In his farewell speech, Hodi thanked the Speaker and his colleagues for their support and guidance during his time in the Assembly.
He also thanked the people of Disina Constituency and stakeholders in Shira Local Government for supporting his bid to become the APM chairmanship candidate.
Hodi described his time in the Assembly as memorable and said he was grateful for the opportunity to serve his constituents and contribute to the development of Bauchi State.
He said, “My experience in this House has been memorable, and I’m grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve my constituents and contribute to the development of Bauchi State.
“I appreciate the confidence reposed in me by the people of Disina, the stakeholders in Shira and His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed. If elected as the chairman, I’ll work hard to surpass your expectations.”
Following Hodi’s resignation, the Speaker announced Auwal Yana as the new Majority Leader of the House.
Yana, who represents the same constituency, was nominated by the APM to replace Hodi.
According to Sulaiman, the nomination was made after a meeting of the party’s Executive Council to fill the vacant position.
The Speaker described Hodi as a colleague with whom he had served in both the ninth and 10th assemblies. He said their relationship had grown beyond their work in the Assembly.
He said, “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.”
Other lawmakers also praised Hodi, describing him as a role model whose patience, dedication and selflessness earned him the respect of his colleagues.
They wished him success in his campaign for the Shira Local Government chairmanship.
In his acceptance speech, Yana thanked God, political stakeholders and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for considering him suitable to serve as one of the principal officers of the Assembly.
He promised to justify the confidence placed in him as the new Majority Leader.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission has fixed August 17, 2026, for local government elections across the state.
The commission said chairmanship elections would be held in 19 of the state’s 20 local government areas, while councillorship elections would take place in all 20 LGAs.
