Kogi Deputy Governor Impeached

A file photo of Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba.

The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr Simon Achuba, has been impeached.

Mr Achuba was impeached by members of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Friday in Lokoja, the state capital.

The Majority Leader of the House disclosed this to reporters at the premises of the Assembly complex.

Achuba’s impeachment followed the submission of a report of the committee set up by the State Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajana, to investigate an allegation of gross misconduct against the former deputy governor.

The House, according to Abdullahi who represents Ajaokuta State Constituency, received, studied and deliberated on the report and a unanimous decision was arrived at to impeach Achuba.

He explained that a seven-man committee headed by John Bayeshea submitted the report to the Speaker of the House, Mr Mathew Kolawole, before the lawmakers took the decision.

Mr Achuba was sworn in as the deputy governor on February 9, months after he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He became the APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the election that brought Mr Yahaya Bello into office after a member of the House of Representatives, Mr James Faleke, rejected to be the governor’s running mate.

Years into the Bello’s administration, Achuba was reported to be engulfed in a disagreement with the governor, an issued which escalated with both sides trading blames.

In August 2019, Achuba raised an alarm of an alleged threat to his life and accused his principal of intolerance of contrary views.

He also criticised the administration for non-performance, claiming that was the reason for the rift between him and Governor Bello.

In a swift reaction to the allegations, the state government in a statement slammed the impeached deputy governor, saying he had no evidence for his claims.

The statement also said the government does not train assassins and cannot be involved in sending killers after anyone.

The issue got worsened days later as the State Assembly announced that it had commenced impeachment proceedings against Mr Achuba for criticising the governor.

Members of the assembly described the action of the embattled deputy governor as gross misconduct against Governor Bello and the people of Kogi State.

The Assembly had, thereafter, directed the Chief Judge in the state to set up a committee to proceed with the impeachment of Mr Achuba.

Displeased with the action of the lawmakers, Mr Achuba filed an application before the State High Court, Lokoja, to challenge the impeachment notice served on him.

Elsewhere, the leadership of the APC in Kogi suspended Mr Achuba from the party for alleged anti-party activities before, during and after the 2019 general elections.

The party also alleged that he took some actions which constituted an embarrassment to the APC family in the state.