Gombe Deputy Speaker Impeached

By Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Deputy Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Hon Shuaibu Adamu Haruna, has been impeached.

He was impeached Tuesday afternoon by 21 out of 24 members of the House.

Though mover of the impeachment motion, Hon Adamu Saleh Patah, Yamaltu East Constituency and the House Committee Chairman on Information, Tulfugut M. Kardi, in an interview refused to give reasons for the impeachment, they insisted that it was an internal decision of the Assembly.

THISDAY checks revealed that the impeachment was a fallout of the lingering rift between the legislators and Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.

Also, it is insinuated that the members are expressing their anger over the refusal by the governor to approve the purchase of their official vehicles only to approve and present that of newly sworn-in commissioners on the day of their inauguration last Saturday.

The axe of the House fell on the deputy speaker because it was observed that he was the only member that went for the commissioners’ inauguration last Saturday and by that flouted their unanimous decision not to attend any government function.

There has been no love lost between the governor and members of the House since their inauguration in June over what some members described as careless response to issues concerning them.

However, during the sitting, Hon Adamu Saleh Patah, Yamaltu East, moved the motion which passed a vote of no confidence on the Deputy Speaker and announced a 21 member list of legislators who have signed the impeachment of the deputy speaker.

Guided by the Clerk of the House, Rukayyatu Adamu Jalo, the Deputy Speaker was immediately replaced with Siddi Buba representing Kwami West constituency. He was immediately sworn in by the Speaker, Sadiq Abubakar Ibrahim.

When our correspondent sought the reactions of the State Government on the development, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said the government had no reaction considering the fact that it is an in-house matter.

He said since it was an in-house matter and the governor respects democratic principles of separation of power, adding that it is a legislative decision.