A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Zamfara State House of Assembly members from impeaching the Deputy Governor, Matadi Aliyu Gusau, over his refusal to defect from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with Governor Bello Matawalle.
Justice Obiora Egwatu, today, in his ruling, also stopped the lawmakers from taking any further step in the impeachment process against Gusau, saying it was unconstitutional.
Justice Egwatu, who issued the order in his ruling in an ex-parte application filed by the PDP after listening to the arguments canvassed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief James Onoja Ogwu, held that the apprehension of the applicant in respect of the impeachment move was serious and justified to restrain the defendants from carrying out the alleged action.
Onoja had told the court that the House of Assembly and others were “planning to impeach the Deputy Governor, who has refused to decamp to the APC,” adding it was of utmost urgency that the court intervenes by granting an interim restraining injection against the fifth to seventh defendants.
Egwatu also restrained the Chief Judge of Zamfara from constituting any panel for the purpose of investigating Gusau pending the determination of a motion on notice filed by the PDP.
Other defendants in the matter are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, the Senate President, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Speaker of Zamfara House of Assembly and Governor Bello Matawalle.
