The Zamfara House of Assembly has accused some of its lawmakers of taking bribes in dollars to thwart the impeachment of Deputy Governor Mahdi Aliyu-Gusau.

The parliament disclosed that it had begun investigating some of its members for collecting bribes to thwart the impeachment.

“The state assembly has agreed that some members received hard currency to shelve the impeachment of the deputy governor, and we are investigating them, and we will make our findings public,’’ stated House Committee on Information chairman Shamsudeen Bosko.

He added that the deputy governor’s impeachment would go on notwithstanding any court pronouncement against it.

“No court can stop the impeachment,’’ Mr Bosko told a news conference on Tuesday. He argued that the process was in line with section 188 (5) (7) of the country’s 1999 Constitution.

According to him, 18 of the 24 legislators voted in favour of the impeachment when allegations of financial misconduct, insubordination, and failure to perform assigned duties were filed against Mr Aliyu-Gusau.

On Monday, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court warned the Zamfara parliament against the plan to impeach the deputy governor.

Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the warning after Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the deputy governor, prayed the court to restrain the lawmakers from impeaching him.

Mr Ekwo did not specifically give the restraining order. He, however, held that since parties in the suit had subjected themselves to the court’s jurisdiction, no party should take any action during the pendency of the matter.

In carrying out its plan, the legislators requested the chief judge of Zamfara, Kulu Aliyu, to constitute a seven-member committee to investigate the deputy governor.

Mr Aliyu on Monday inaugurated a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office against Mr Aliyu-Gusau.

The Zamfara parliament had, at its sitting on February 7, served the deputy governor with a notice of impeachment for gross misconduct and abuse of office.

The seven-man panel of investigation has retired Justice Halidu Tanko-Soba as chairman. Others are Oladipo Opeseyi (SAN), Abrahim Abdul-Atadoga (SAN), Hussaini Zakariyau (SAN), Amina Tanimu-Marafa, Sani Mande, and Ahmad Buhari-Rabah.

Inaugurating the panel, Mr Aliyu said it was in line with section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution.

Meanwhile, Mr Bosko alluded to an allegation of misappropriation of N31 billion security vote against Governor Bello Matawalle but said there was no formal petition on the issue before the house.

He challenged the PDP, which made the allegation, to submit a petition against the governor if it was sure of its allegation. 

(NAN)