The Speaker of Adamawa House of Assembly, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Wednesday directed the Clerk of the House to serve governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, notice of impeachment for “gross misconduct”.

The development followed a motion on constitutional matter raised by the deputy speaker, Laori Kwamoti (PDP-Numan).

Kwamoti cited Section 188 of the constitution and presented a document containing allegations of gross misconduct against the governor, which he said was signed by 19 of the 25 members of the Assembly.

Shortly after the consideration and endorsement of Kwamoti’s document, Usman Abdulkareem (PDP- Nasarawo/Binyeri) also said he had received allegation of gross misconduct against the deputy governor signed by eight members of the Assembly.

The Speaker, who perused the two notices, said they had complied with the provision of the constitution having met the one-third requirement for an impeachment of any of the two officers to commence.

The Speaker subsequently directed the Clerk of the house to serve separate notices to the affected Nyako and his deputy and all the 25 members of the state Assembly.

Speaking to newsmen on the development, the chairman of the Assembly’s committee on Information, Adamu Kamale (PDP-Michika), said the governor and his deputy would be served the notices.

“Whether they reply or not, the House would sit on the matter after two weeks,” Kamale said.

Reacting to the impeachment threat, governor Nyako, through his director of press and public affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, described the move as “selfish”.

“Members of the House are planning something that will end up making them the sole beneficiaries, where the Speaker will be the acting governor and the deputy speaker becomes the deputy governor,” Sajoh said.

In 2008, Nyako was served with a similar impeachment notice on allegations of fictitious, frivolous, fraudulent and inflated contracts and spending of public funds not covered by the budget besides the alleged payment of N45 million as contributions to a non-existent body.

Nyako was also alleged to have committed many unconstitutional acts in the discharge of his duties, including illegal establishment of a body not covered by law, referred to as Special Projects Directorate, just as he was accused of appointing his children, namely Rabi Nyako, Maryam Nyako, Hassan Nyako, Murtala Nyabo as coordinators as well as a serving Naval Commander, Abdul-Aziz Nyako, as the general overseer of the directorate, among other allegations.