Nineteen out of 25 members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly yesterday endorsed a move to impeach Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy Barrister Bala James Ngilari. 

This is the first time in this political dispensation that a state assembly, will serve an impeachment notice on a governor and his deputy in line with section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (amended). 

The latest move followed weeks of intense altercation between the executive and legislative arms of government which led to the invitation and even arrest of some commissioners who failed to honour the House’s invitation to answer charges of financial recklessness levelled against them. 

But Nyako who spoke through his spokesman Mallam Ahmad Sajoh stated that he is not bothered about the move of the lawmakers to remove him. 

He said, “It is God that gives power and He takes it back when He will. I’m not bothered about the impeachment notice. We have run a democratic system in Adamawa and we expect the House of Assembly to abide by the democratic process. 

“As I am talking to you, the governor is yet to receive the notice of the impeachment even though we are aware that the assembly has passed the resolution.” 

The move against the governor was the second such attempt against him in his seven years in power; there was a failed attempt by the James Barka-led House to impeach the governor in 2008. 

The impeachment motion was moved by the member representing Numan Constituency and deputy speaker of the House, Barr. Kwamoti Laori, who said he was spurred by the height of the financial recklessness that had become the hallmark of Nyako’s government to move the motion. 

The House then went on to slam a 20-count charge of gross financial misappropriation which it accused the government of Nyako of committing leading the state to incur losses running into billions of naira.