Kano Assembly moves to impeach deputy gov

… two weeks to respond to allegations

The Kano State House of Assembly has granted the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, two weeks to respond to a series of allegations levelled against him, warning that failure to do so could trigger impeachment proceedings.

The Assembly said the move on the allegations borders on gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.

The development followed a petition submitted by the state executive urging the Assembly to investigate Abdulsalam over alleged irregularities during his tenure as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs between 2023 and 2024.

Reading the petition during plenary, the Majority Leader of the Kano Assembly, Lawan Hussaini Dala, said the notice complied with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which outlines the procedure for the removal of a deputy governor from office.

According to Dala, the allegations relate to Abdulsalam’s activities while supervising the affairs of the state’s 44 local government areas.

The petition accused the deputy governor of breach of public trust, alleging that he diverted funds meant for local government administrations for personal gain.

It claimed that between June 2023 and January 2024, Abdulsalam allegedly received kickbacks totalling N462 million over a seven-month period.

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He was also accused of diversion of funds and misuse of official capacity. The petition alleged that from February to July 2024, he received N726 million from local government councils under the guise of executing special assignments.

In another allegation, Abdulsalam was said to have abused his office by facilitating the improper release of N440 million to North Med Pharmaceutical Limited, allegedly in violation of public procurement laws and state fiscal regulations.

The Kano Assembly described the alleged actions as gross misconduct under Section 188(2) of the Constitution, stating that they represent serious breaches of constitutional norms and ethical standards expected of public office holders.

Dala explained that based on the evidence presented in the petition, the deputy governor could be impeached and removed from office in line with constitutional procedures.

However, the Assembly resolved to grant Abdulsalam two weeks to respond to the allegations contained in the petition before further steps are taken in the impeachment process.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the deputy governor were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. When our correspondent visited his office at the Government House in Kano, it was found locked.

Similarly, attempts to reach his press secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, for comments on the matter were not successful.