Finally, Zamfara assembly impeaches deputy governor

More than eight months after Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State defected from People Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, the state House of Assembly has impeached the Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.

The impeachment was perfected by the lawmakers during a plenary session on Wednesday.

The house had earlier received the report of the seven-member committee set up by the state’s Chief Judge, Kulu Aliyu, to investigate the allegations against the deputy governor.

Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Information, Shamsudeen Basko, had on February 7 announced the service of an impeachment notice on Gusau.

Basko said the allegations against the deputy governor include “insubordination, abuse of office, and criminal self-enrichment”.

A federal high court in Abuja had fixed March 10 for a definite hearing in a suit instituted by the deputy governor seeking to stop the impeachment move.

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But Basko had said the impeachment process is in accordance with section 188 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

The lawmaker accused Gusau of failure to perform as acting governor when Matawalle was absent from the state, alleging that the deputy governor’s decision was aimed at creating a “leadership problem” in Zamfara.

“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,” he had said.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had warned Governor Matawalle and the state assembly against impeaching him.

On June 29 2021, Matawalle officially defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

After Matawalle’s defection to the APC, the deputy governor refused to leave PDP, pledging his loyalty to the opposition party.