Justice Obiora Egwatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on
Friday stepped aside from the suit seeking to halt impeachment of Zamfara State
Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mahadi Aliyu Mohammed Gusau.
The judge bowed out of the case following information that a
similar suit on the same subject matter was already pending before another
judge of the court in Abuja division.
When the matter came up, Justice Egwatu told senior lawyers
in the case, led by James Ogu Onoja, that he would not proceed with the hearing
as earlier agreed.
He predicated his decision on the need to avoid a situation
where court could be made to give conflicting judgments on the same matter.
He subsequently ordered that the case be transferred to
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, who has been adjudicating over a similar matter.
Justice Egwuatu also directed that all processes filed in
respect of the case before him be transferred immediately to Justice Ekwo’s
court to ensure speedy hearing of the suit.
The judge had on July 19 stopped the Zamfara State House of
Assembly members from taking any further step in the impeachment process
targeted at the deputy governor over his refusal to decamp from the People
Democratic Party PDP to the All Progressive Congress along with Governor Bello
Mataealle.
Justice Egwatu had issued the order in his ruling in an
ex-parte application filed by PDP.
After listening to the arguments canvassed by a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria, Chief James Onoja Ogwu, the judge held that the
apprehension of the applicant in respect of the impeachment move was serious
and justified to restrain the defendants from carrying out the alleged action.
The judge had also restrained the Chief Judge of Zamfara
State from constituting any panel for the purpose of investigating the Deputy
Governor pending the determination of a motion on notice filed by PDP.
Other defendants in the matter are Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC; All Progressive Congress, APC; the Senate
President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Speaker of Zamfara House of
Assembly and Governor Bello Matawalle.
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