The Deputy Governor of Kogi, Elder Simon Achuba has dragged the State House of Assembly to court following impeachment noticed recently served on him.

Achuba approached the State High Court, Lokoja to challenge the purported impeachment notice served on him by the Kogi State House of Assembly, on grounds that it was served out of time and marred with irregularities. The case is set for hearing on the date to be announced soon by the court. It would be recalled that the State Assembly had commenced an impeachment process against the Deputy Governor over alleged gross misconduct. The impeachment notice was read by the majority leader of the House, Abdullahi Bello (Ajaokuta, APC) as a petition on the floor of the Assembly. He said the petition was based on three grounds of criminal indulgence, financial misappropriation and non-performance.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State House of Assembly has requested the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, to constitute a 7-man Panel of Inquiry to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor of the state, Elder Simon Achuba. The Assembly made the request in a resolution reached at plenary on Tuesday in Lokoja, following the adoption of a motion by the Majority Leader, Abdullahi Bello-Balogun (APC-Ajaokuta). The motion called for an investigation into the allegations, which is a second step toward impeachment of the public officer. Presenting the motion, Bello-Balogun said the motion was sequel to issuance of a Notice of Allegations to the deputy governor on Aug. 8, 2019.

He explained that the deputy governor evaded service of the Notice of Allegations on him and also directed that none of his aides should receive any correspondence from the Assembly on his behalf. Bello-Balogun said that the prayers calling for investigation in the motion were in line with Section 188(3) which stipulated that the House should resolve by motion, supported by not less than two-third of members, to request the Chief Judge to set up the seven-man panel to investigate the allegations. He added that the deputy governor’s attack on Gov. Yahaya Bello and the State Government as well as the alleged discrete and open support for candidates of the opposition parties during the Presidential, National and State Assembly elections in February and March, amounted to gross misconduct.

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