Zamfara Assembly Begins Impeachment Moves Against Deputy Governor Aliyu

The Zamfara House of Assembly has begun the process of impeaching the state’s Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu.

Mustafa Jafaru-Kaura, the legislature’s spokesman, said as much in a statement released in Gusau on Friday.

The move came after the Deputy Speaker of the House, Nasiru Magarya, presented an impeachment notice, according to the statement.

“As part of the provision of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that empowers legislatures to commence impeachment moves of a governor or his deputy on allegations of constitutional breaches, wrongdoing or abuse of office.

“Therefore, today the Deputy Speaker and Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts presented a formal request notifying the speaker of the House move to impeach Barr. Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau as the Deputy Governor of the state,” Mr Jafaru-Kaura said.

“The Deputy Speaker accused the Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu-Gusau, for alleged constitutional breaches, abuse of office and financial misappropriation, which are all impeachable offences, and added that Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution empowered them to commence impeachment process against the Deputy Governor without further delay.”

The Speaker responded by promising that the assembly would investigate the charges against the deputy governor and act accordingly in accordance with the Constitution’s requirements.

Mr Aliyu and Governor Bello Matawalle have had a strained relationship since the latter defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the deputy opting to remain with the current opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

(NAN)