Days after unveiling plans to marry off 100 females orphaned by banditry in his constituency, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulamlik Sarkindaji, has backtracked, saying he would not grace the occasion.
His change of mind followed the court action taken against him by the Women Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, to halt the planned wedding.
The Minister had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and sought a court injunction to stop the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.
The Speaker made this known on Tuesday during a media briefing, during which he said the minister had overstepped her bounds.
Sarkindaji said the minister should take over the sponsorship of the wedding ceremony.
The Speaker disclosed that he had already made funds available to the girls’ parents through the traditional leaders and clerics of his constituency, noting that he would not withdraw the funds.
Abdulmalik also pointed out that his motive for wanting to sponsor the wedding was the state of poverty of the girls’ parents and not the constituency project, as reported in the media.
