ACF, Kwankwasiyya, NNPP Flay Kano Assembly’s Move To Impeach Deputy Gov

The Kano State House of Assembly on Thursday began impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam over alleged gross misconduct, abuse of office and breach of public trust, a move that has triggered strong reactions from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

The impeachment notice was read during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore, after it was presented by the Majority Leader, Lawan Husseini Dala.

The commencement of the impeachment process comes barely 48 hours after the Assembly said it had no plans to seek the deputy governor’s removal.

Abdulsalam stayed back in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) after the recent defection of his principal, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Both men were elected into office in 2023 on the platform of the NNPP.

However, the deputy governor is said to have continued reporting to his office despite being in a different political camp from his boss.

Reading the impeachment notice on the floor of the House, Majority Leader Dala said the action against the deputy governor was taken in line with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which empowers a state legislature to commence impeachment proceedings against a deputy governor over allegations of gross misconduct.

According to the notice, Abdulsalam allegedly breached public trust during his tenure as Commissioner for Local Government between 2023 and 2024.

The lawmakers alleged that the deputy governor received kickbacks of N1.5 million monthly from each of the 44 local government councils in the state between June 2023 and January 2024, amounting to N66 million per month and a total of N462 million within the seven-month period.

They further alleged that between February and July 2024, Abdulsalam collected additional cash returns of N3.255 million monthly from each of the councils under the guise of executing special assignments, bringing the total amount allegedly received during the period to N726 million.

The Assembly also accused him of facilitating the release of N10 million from each of the 44 local government councils, totalling N440 million, to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited in alleged violation of the Kano State Public Procurement Law and fiscal management regulations.

The lawmakers described the alleged actions as gross misconduct as defined under Section 188(2) of the Constitution.

A total of 38 Assembly members reportedly signed the impeachment notice.

Following the presentation, Speaker Falgore directed that the deputy governor be formally served a two-week notice in line with constitutional provisions governing impeachment procedures.

However, the development has drawn criticism from the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the NNPP.

A spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Mansur Umar Kurugu, described the Assembly’s action as shocking and politically motivated, saying the movement rejected the process.

He said the decision came as a surprise to members of the movement and the NNPP, insisting that the deputy governor had not committed any offence warranting impeachment.

Kurugu also questioned whether due process was being followed, noting that the Constitution provides a structured procedure, including the constitution of an investigative panel before further action can be taken.

Similarly, the NNPP in Kano cautioned the House of Assembly against taking steps that could trigger political instability in the state.

In a statement signed by the party’s publicity secretary, Engr. Ibrahim Karaye, the party urged the lawmakers to exercise restraint and respect democratic principles.

The party stressed that elected officials should not be coerced into taking decisions against their political beliefs, particularly amid ongoing political realignments in the state.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the deputy governor through his spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to his phone line were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

Move Against Kano Deputy Governor, Minus For Democracy – ACF

On its part, the apex northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has described the reported impeachment notice served on Kano Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo as a minus for the development of democracy in the country.

In a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP Friday, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, condemned the move, saying it was expected after the deputy governor refused to follow Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

ACF said:

“This is something that was foreseen. Since the matter of the governor’s defection to the APC and the deputy governor’s refusal to follow, we knew something like this would happen. As you know, in Nigeria, if you want to attach a fault to anyone, you can do it.

“So, let us wait for the process to go through and we will see. But it is something everyone should have foreseen because we are not doing things according to rules and regulations. We are just doing things according to how we want them to be. It is very disappointing and it is a minus for democratic development in Nigeria.”