Crisis in Gombe: Executive, Legislators rift widens; House impeaches Deputy Speaker; Targets Governor  

The Deputy Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Shuaibu Adamu Haruna has been impeached Tuesday afternoon by 21 of the 24 members of the House.

Though the mover of the impeachment motion, Adamu Saleh Patah, Yamaltu East Constituency and the House Committee Chairman on Information, Tulfugut M Kardi, in an interview refused to give reasons for the impeachment, they insisted that it was an internal decision of the House.

Investigations however reveal that the impeachment is a fallout of the lingering rift between the Legislators and the Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.

Also, it is insinuated that the members are expressing their anger over the refusal of the Governor to approve the purchase of their official vehicles only to approve and present that of newly sworn-in Commissioners on the day of their inauguration last Saturday. A development that may invite the wrath of the Legislature very soon.

The axe of the House fell on the Deputy Speaker because it was observed that he was the only Member that went for the Commissioners’ inauguration last Saturday and by that action flouted their unanimous decision not to attend any Government function.

There has been no love lost between the Executive Governor and members of the House since shortly after their inauguration in June over what some members described as the Governor’s careless response to issues concerning them.

During the sitting, Adamu Saleh Patah, Yamaltu East, moved the motion which passed a vote of no confidence on the Deputy Speaker and announced a 21 member list of legislators who had signed the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker.

Guided by the Clerk of the House, Rukayyatu Adamu Jalo, the former Deputy Speaker, Shuaibu Adamu Haruna was immediately replaced with Siddi Buba representing Kwami West constituency. He was immediately sworn in by the Speaker Sadiq Abubakar Ibrahim.

When our Correspondent sought the reactions of the State Government over the development, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said the Government has no reaction considering the fact that it is an in-house matter.

He said since it was an in-house matter and the Governor respects democratic tenets of separation of powers between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, it is a legislative decision.