A Federal High Court located in Kano has rejected an application submitted by the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, aiming to halt the ongoing impeachment proceedings against him.
The application, presented by Gwarzo's legal counsel, Barrister Umar Danbaito, requested the court to issue an immediate injunction that would prevent the Kano State House of Assembly from continuing with the impeachment process while the main suit is being decided.
In his ruling on the ex parte motion, Justice S. M. Shaibu stated that the applicant had not met the necessary conditions for granting such an urgent interim relief.
However, the judge instructed the applicant to formally serve the court documents to the respondents so they could submit their responses. The case has been scheduled for a further hearing on April 16, 2026.
This decision comes after the Kano State House of Assembly issued an impeachment notice to Gwarzo, citing allegations of financial misconduct and abuse of office, and requiring him to provide a defence within two weeks.
The notice of impeachment reportedly garnered support from 38 lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two members of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). The motion was introduced by the House's Majority Leader, Lawan Husaini, who represents the Dala constituency.
The lawmakers asserted that their action complied with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which outlines the legal framework for removing a deputy governor.
According to the allegations presented by the Assembly, Gwarzo is accused of receiving kickbacks from all 44 local government councils in the state between June 2023 and January 2024.
The notice further specified that he allegedly collected approximately N1.5 million monthly from each council, accumulating to about N66 million per month and a total of N462 million over a seven-month period.
It was also claimed that between February and July 2024, the deputy governor received an additional N726 million, purportedly for executing special assignments for the councils.
The lawmakers further accused the deputy governor of abusing his position by allegedly facilitating the release of N440 million from the local government councils to a private entity, Novomed Pharmaceuticals Limited, which they claim contravened procurement and financial regulations.
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