The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State and the members of the parallel state House of Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Bashir Aliyu Gumi, have rejected and condemned a court order for the arrest of nine lawmakers.

The order, which was issued by a High Court in Gusau, the state capital, had directed the police to arrest and produce the nine lawmakers, who are members of the APC, for allegedly violating a court order that restrained them from parading themselves as members of the state House of Assembly.

However, the APC and the affected lawmakers have described the arrest order as politically motivated, saying it was a ploy by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to intimidate and silence them.

In a statement issued by the state APC chairman, Alhaji Tukur Danfulani, the party said the arrest order was a clear abuse of court process and an attempt to undermine the democratic process in the state.

“We reject and condemn the arrest order in its entirety,” Danfulani said. “It is a clear case of political persecution and an attempt to silence our members who are only exercising their constitutional rights as lawmakers.”

The factional Speaker, Bashir Aliyu Gumi, also described the arrest order as a “kangaroo judgment” that was aimed at intimidating and harassing the APC lawmakers.

“We will not be intimidated or harassed by the PDP and their agents,” Gumi said. “We will continue to perform our legislative duties and represent our constituents, despite the attempts to silence us.”

The nine lawmakers affected by the arrest order are said to be part of the 21 lawmakers who were suspended by the state House of Assembly for allegedly violating the rules of the House.

The crisis in the state House of Assembly began when the 21 lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC, leading to a leadership crisis in the House.

The PDP had obtained a court order restraining the defected lawmakers from parading themselves as members of the House, but the APC had challenged the order, saying it was an attempt to undermine the democratic process.

The arrest order has sparked tension in the state, with many residents expressing fears of a possible breakdown of law and order.

The police in the state have confirmed the receipt of the arrest order, but said they would only act in accordance with the law and the constitution.

“We will study the order and take necessary actions,” the state police commissioner, Ayuba Elkanah, said. “We will not act outside the law or the constitution.”

The development has also sparked reactions from other political parties and civil society groups in the state, who have called for calm and restraint.

The APC and the affected lawmakers have vowed to challenge the arrest order in court, saying they would not be intimidated or silenced by the PDP and their agents.