Zamfara State House of Assembly has served an impeachment notice on the deputy governor, Alhaji Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.
Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the chairman of the House Standing Committee on Information, Hon. Shamsu Haske, said last week the deputy speaker submitted a notice to the speaker for the impeachment of Gusau.
He said already two-thirds of the members had signed the notice for the removal of the deputy governor.
He said the Assembly earlier invited Gusau on some vital issues regarding his official functions but he rushed to court where he secured an order urging the parties to maintain status quo.
The lawmaker said the order has expired and therefore the Assembly as an independent body ought to discharge its responsibility.
Haske said, “His Excellency, the deputy governor in person of Barr. Mahadi Aliyu Gusau under the provisions of Section 128 and 129 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) mischievously approached the Federal High Court in Abuja alleging that this House is in the process of impeaching him.”
He said the court in its wisdom ordered the parties to maintain the status quo.
The lawmaker accused the deputy governor of refusing to honour the invitation of the House. According to him, the allegations against Gusau are abuse of office, breach of Sections 190 and 193 (1), (2) (a)(b)(c), of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) as well as criminal self-enrichment using public funds.
According to him, this included criminal diversion of state funds.
Also yesterday, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said no responsible parliament would act against a court decision.
He spoke against the background of the Zamfara Assembly playing ignorance of the court order in the deputy governor’s case.
At a consultation meeting with the PDP delegates, Tambuwal who is aspiring for party’s presidential ticket wondered how a parliament was promoting illegally in the case of Gusau.
Tambuwal said, “It seems like there is no law in the country or completely displaying ignorance of the assignment as in spite of court order to maintain the status quo they are trying to act illegally.”
He advised political leaders to understand the tenets of leadership and respect them as nobody can change one’s destiny in life.
Tambuwal recalled that in 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over power, Nigeria was faced with a series of crisis but instead of reducing hardship among the people, the situation had become worse than what the APC government inherited.
Also on the team, former Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa said it is time for the preparations of the 2023 elections.
He recalled that in 2019 out of the seven contestants of the PDP Presidential ticket from the Northwest Tambuwal was the second in votes.
“The five presidential aspirants from the Northwest, six of us decided to step down and back Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for the PDP presidential ticket because he is young and energetic,” he added.
