Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Barr. Mahdi Aliyu Gusau has been impeached by the State House of Assembly.
Gusau was impeached on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, through a unanimous vote of 20 out of 24 members during a plenary of the House.
Members voted for the impeachment of the Deputy Governor after the report submitted by the judicial panel of investigation found him guilty of the allegations levelled against him.
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.
The report of the panel was read by the Speaker of the Assembly Nasiru Muazu Magarya and was adopted by members of the Assembly.
The panel presented its report to the speaker which was acted upon in removing Gusau from office.
Submitting the report, Okpeseyi said the panel had done its duty with utmost integrity and diligence and had compiled the report based on the evidence it gathered in the course of its duty.
According to him, the panel is not empowered by the Nigerian Constitution to speak about its report or make it available to any person.
Okpeseyi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the probe panel only produced two copies of the report and has visited the assembly complex to present the report to the speaker.
The panel, inaugurated by the Zamfara State Chief Judge, Kulu Aliyu, to investigate allegations against the deputy governor began its proceedings Monday afternoon in Gusau.
The impeached deputy governor has been having a running battle with the state Governor, Bello Matawalle, as he refused to defect from PDP to join APC.
Meanwhile, Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle has appointed Senator Hassan Mohammed Gusau as Deputy Governor following the impeachment of Barr. Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.
L-R: Impeached Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau and his successor, Senator Hassan Mohammed Gusau
Sen Gasau defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in June 2021.
Gasau represents the Zamfara Central at the National Assembly.
Sources: Pulse n.g/THE NATION
