19th July, 2021
By Muhaimin Olowoporoku
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, stopped the Zamfara House of Assembly from impeaching the Deputy Governor of the state, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its Lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN had filed an ex-parte motion in a suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/650/2021.
Justice Obiora held that the defendants maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The Justice also stopped the house from impeaching its other members who are still in the PDP.
She directed the plaintiff to serve all the defendants in the suit before Friday and adjourned the matter until July 23 for a hearing of the motion on notice.
The PDP in their suit named the Independent National Electoral Commission, APC, Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Speaker of Zamfara House of Assembly, Governor Matawalle, and Chief Judge of Zamfara as 1st to 7th defendants respectively.
PDP filed the lawsuit after Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while his deputy, Gusau, did not.
After the defection by the governor and some legislators in the state, lawmakers had threatened to impeach Gusau over activities they considered to be a threat to the security in the state in which they claimed he was involved.