Zamfara deputy governor absent as impeachment panel closes hearing

Zamfara deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu, was absent as the seven-man panel investigating alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office against him closed a hearing on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that seven witnesses appeared before the panel, headed by Justice Halidu Tanko which began sitting at the State High Court 4, Gusau on Monday, Feb 21.

The deputy governor was absent and was not represented by any legal counsel throughout the sitting.

Speaking at the end of the sitting, Tanko lauded members of the public for their support during the two-day sitting.

Also speaking, Justice Abdul Ibrahim (SAN) a member of the panel assured of a free and fair investigation.

“Our work will be strictly on the constitutional procedure, we have given the parties the opportunity to present their cases.

“We are going to embark on our deliberations; our timeframe is within three months.

“We will look at it critically and when the report is ready, we will present it to the state house of assembly,” he said.

According to him, the absence of the deputy governor during the hearing will not in any way affect the panel investigation.

“Our duty to serve both parties and we have served both of them before the commencement of the hearing.

“And if any of the parties refused to appear before the panel is not our duty to ask why,” he said.

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has on Feb. 9, directed the state Chief Judge, Justice Kulu Aliyu to set up an investigative panel over allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the deputy governor.

The House at its extraordinary plenary unanimously agreed that the deputy governor be investigated for breaching Sections 190 and 193 (1), (2) (a)(b)(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Eighteen members who were present at the plenary, out of the 22 members of the House voted in favour of the motion and no member voted against the impeachment motion.