The Zamfara State House of Assembly has begun fresh moves to impeach the state’s deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gasau.
The deputy speaker of the House, Musa Bawa, at Friday’s plenary submitted a document requesting the impeachment of the deputy governor.
Mr Bawa, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Public Account, moved a motion for the consideration of the request.
He said: “I stand here before our able leader, Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, to submit this document for the impeachment of the Deputy Governor, Zamfara State.”
The speaker, Mr Magarya, acknowledged receipt of the document.
“We will treat the document in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” the speaker said.
The deputy governor parted ways with Governor Bello Matatwalle after he refused to join the defecting governor and other elected officials in Zamfara to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year.
They had all taken their offices on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the Supreme Court disqualified candidates of the APC who had been declared winners in the 2019 elections.
The lawmakers had threatened to impeach Mr Aliyu for allegedly holding a political rally amidst killings in the state. But he denied any wrongdoing.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, later in July restrained the lawamakers and the Chief Judge of the state from taking steps to impeach the deputy governor.
The judge, Obiora Egwuatu, gave the order in a ruling in an ex-parte motion with suit number, FHC/ABJ/CS/650/2021, brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Mr Egwuatu ordered the defendants to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the PDP against the impeachment process.
The judge also stopped the House from taking actions against its other members who are still in the PDP.
