Court stops impeachment move against Niger deputy governor

A Niger State High Court in Minna, has restrained the state House of Assembly and its officials from commencing any impeachment proceedings against the Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ibeto.

A copy of the enrolled order which was granted on Monday was obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday.

Justice Aliyu Mayaki made the order an ex parte application filed by Ibeto. The court held that the interim order is to subsist pending the determination of the main suit.

The court's order also restrained the Speaker and the Clerk of the House of Assembly from embarking on the impeachment proceedings.

Other defendants in the suit bound by the court's order are the Attorney General of the state, the Chief Judge, the Commissioner of Police of the state, Director, Department of State Service in Niger State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The ruling was on an ex-parte application in the suit NSHC/MN/02/2015 filed by Ibeto, through his lawyer, Mohammed Magaji (SAN), which had sought an interim injunction restraining the nine defendants in a suit he filed.

He had sought among other prayers an order voiding the letter of hand-over given the Speaker by the governor to act in his absence and the alleged plot by the state Governor, Aliyu Babangida to impeach him.

It was alleged that the House of Assembly was to initiate impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor following his recent defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.

The state governor had also recently handed over to the Speaker of the House of Assembly to act as governor during his absence while on hajj.

Justice Mayaki, who granted all the six prayers in the ex-parte motion, also restrained the defendants from 'tempering, violating, withdrawing the rights and privileges of the plaintiff's office.' He specifically restrained the Speaker, the House of Assembly and the Clerk (the 4th,7th and 8th defendants) from conducting any proceedings in the House' s chambers with the aim of impeaching the plaintiff.

The judge further restrained the three - the Speaker, the House of Assembly and the Clerk - and their agents 'from accepting any nomination of any purported candidate from the governor of Niger State, for the position of the deputy governor of Niger State.' All the interim orders are to subsist pending the determination of the substantive suit initiated via originating summons.

Ibeto, in a supporting affidavit, stated that the governor, having walked him out of the Executive Council Meeting on February 11, has allegedly taken steps to prevent him from functioning in his capacity as the deputy governor. He said the governor has equally threatened to influence his impeachment.

The deputy governor said his problem with the governor started when he defected to the APC from the PDP. – Punch.