18 Zamfara Lawmakers Vote to Impeach Deputy Governor After He Refused to Join APC

 

Members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly are set to impeach the deputy governor of the state, Mahdi Aliyu.

 

This comes after eighteen out of the 22 voted to impeach him.

 

He had refused to join the governor of the state to join the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party.

 

This is coming three days after the Assembly said it had sent a notice of impeachment to the deputy governor.

 

Fresh move for Aliyu's impeachment started after 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.

 

The deputy governor parted ways with Governor Bello Matatwalle after he refused to join the defection of the 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.

 

During Thursday’s sitting, three APC members who were not around were the only lawmakers not to have approved the impeachment.

 

The only PDP lawmaker, Salihu Usman (Zurmi East), who was also absent during plenary, has been vocal against the impeachment.

 

The speaker was excluded from the final voting.

 

The Speaker, Mu’azu Magarya, reminded the House of the decision to accept the request by Mr Bawa on the impeachment process.

 

When he asked the members to vote for or against the motion, the 18 members present voted for the impeachment. Mr Magarya also supported the move but he was excluded as the presiding officer.

 

After that, the House asked the State Chief Judge, Kulu Aliyu, to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations against the deputy governor.

 

The House noted that the deputy governor would be investigated for breaching Sections 190 and 193 (1), (2) (a)(b)(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.