Nasarawa impeachment fails as panel dismisses all charges against ‎the Governor

 

The impeachment process against the Nasarawa state Governor, Umaru Al-Makura suffered a setback on August 5th as the 7-man panel of inquiry set up by the state Chief Judge, Suleiman Dikko to investigate all 16 charges of gross misconduct leveled against the governor by the state lawmakers was dismissed. 

 

The panel of inquiryon Monday August 4th listened to the state governor who responded to all the allegations leveled against him. The panel thereafter invited the lawmakers to come forward with evidence of gross misconduct by the state Governor but they however declined the invitation, stating that the committee was unconstitutional as most of the members were card carrying members of political parties which is against the constitution of any legal panel of inquiry.  

 

The Assembly members however made a U-turn this morning, sending a legal team led by Mr. Ocha Ulegede to represent them at the panel. The legal team presented a letter of protest written by the lawmakers to the panel, arguing that some members of the panel had political affiliations and that their appointments into the panel of enquiry negates the provision of Section 188 in the composition of the panel.

“Section 188 of the constitution spelt out clearly how the panel should be composed. They are three fundamental issues among which is that member of the panel cannot be a card carrying member of a political party. They cannot hold government appointment and that the panel does not have the power to set the rules of proceeding guiding the sitting”.

After listening to their presentation, the panel went into a recess and upon resumption, announced the dismissal of all 16 charges earlier leveled against the Governor.