The Deputy governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, has been impeached by the state House of Assembly.
The state lawmakers impeached the deputy governor during a plenary session on Wednesday, following the consideration of the report of a segen-man committee set up by the state Chief Judge, Kulu Aliy, to investigate the allegations against the deputy governor.
The House had earlier, received the report of the seven-member committee, which investigated the allegations of “insubordination, abuse of office, and criminal self-enrichment,” preferred against the deputy governor.
Recall that on February 7, the Chairman if the House Committee on Information, Hon Shamsudeen Basko, had announced that the House had served a notice of impeachment on Gusau.
Recall also that a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja had fixed March 10 for a definite hearing in a suit instituted by the deputy governor, seeking to stop the impeachment move.
But Basko had insisted that the impeachment process is in accordance with section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He accused Gusau of failure to perform his statutory function as as acting governor, when the state governor, Bello Matawalle, was absent from the state, alleging that the deputy governor’s decision was aimed at creating a “leadership problem” in Zamfara.
Basko added, “No court proceedings or order can stop the impeachment process initiated by the honourable House lawfully and in accordance with section 188 subsection 10 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Reacting to the impeachment move of Gusau, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had warned Matawalle and the state Assembly against impeaching the deputy governor.
Recall that on June 29 2021, Matawalle officially defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, after months of denials and speculations.
After Matawalle’s defection to the APC, the deputy governor refused to leave the PDP, pledging his loyalty to the opposition party.
