A Federal High Court in Kano has struck out a suit filed by the immediate past Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, seeking to halt impeachment proceedings initiated against him by the Kano State House of Assembly.
Justice S.M. Shuaibu struck out the case on Thursday after Gwarzo opted to discontinue the suit he had earlier filed to challenge the legality of the impeachment process, with his counsel Umar Danbaito informing the court of the decision to withdraw the case, effectively ending the legal battle aimed at stopping the lawmakers from proceeding with his removal.
The former deputy governor had approached the court on March 25, asking it to restrain the Assembly from continuing with the impeachment process which began on March 5, but the court had earlier refused to grant an interim injunction to stop the proceedings and instead directed that the Kano State House of Assembly be put on notice to justify why such an order should not be granted, adjourning the matter to April 16.
The impeachment move against Gwarzo is widely believed to be linked to political realignments within the state, particularly his reported refusal to defect from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The Assembly disclosed that the impeachment notice, endorsed by 38 lawmakers, followed constitutional provisions outlined in Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and Gwarzo is facing serious allegations, including claims that he received kickbacks from the 44 local government councils in Kano State between June 2023 and January 2024.
