By John Ikani
Embattled Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Barrister Mahdi Aliyu Gusau has been impeached by the State’s House of Assembly.
The state lawmakers impeached the Deputy Governor during a plenary session on Wednesday.
Gusau, elected on a joint ticket with Governor Bello Mutawalle on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) refused to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the Governor.
He had since been having a running battle with Govenor Bello, who is believed to have instigated the impeachment proceedings in the Assembly.
Heritage Times learnt that Gusau’s impeachment followed the report submitted by the panel set up by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kulu Aliyu, to investigate allegations of misconduct levelled against the deputy governor.
The panel had Justice Halidu Tanko-Soba as Chairman, with Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), as Deputy Chairman and Abdul-Atadoga Ibrahim (SAN), Hussaini Zakariyau, (SAN), Amina Tanimu-Marafa, Alhaji Sani Mande and Ahmad Buhari-Rabah, as members.
Presenting the copies of the report to the Speaker of the Assembly, Honorable Nasiru Muazu Magarya, Okpeseyi said they were not empowered to talk about the report with any one.
“We have done our duty with utmost integrity and diligence and we have compiled this report based on the evidences we have gathered in the course of our duty,” he said.
Responding, the Speaker of the Assembly said they would work on the report with the context of section 188 of the constitution. He then thanked the panel for discharging their duties in accordance with the law.
It would be recalled that 18 members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly unanimously resolved to direct the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kulu Aliyu, to set up a panel to probe the allegations against Mr Gusau during an extraordinary plenary held on February 10.
While setting up the team, Justice Aliyu said she received a letter dated February 10, 2022, from the Speaker of the Assembly, requesting the constitution of the probe panel.
Among the allegations levelled against the deputy governor were a breach of the Constitution, gross misconduct, financial fraud, and abuse of office.
The panel commenced its sitting on Monday and ended the proceedings the next day. But the embattled deputy governor, who was the respondent, was absent.
