By Iro Dan Fulani
A Yola High Court in Adamawa State has restrained the House of Assembly from impeachment actions against Governor Murtala Nyako over allegations of gross misconduct.
The acting chief judge of the state, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, gave the order of restraint on Thursday while granting two separate interim injunctions in respect of the suits filed by governor Nyako against the Assembly and another one filed by the Adamawa branch of the All Progressive Congress, APC, against three of the state lawmakers who defected from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, challenging their legibility to partake in the activities of the House.
Counsel to the governor and the APC, Jerry Owe, requested for an order of interim injunction restraining the House or it’s agents from taking any further action towards impeaching or removing the governor from office pending the determination of the motion on notice as contained in the affidavit.
Granting the respective motions, Justice Mammadi said he was convinced after hearing the counsel and read the motion with the accompanying affidavits.
The judge said the interim injunctions will last from today 26/6/2014 to 2/7/2014.
It would be recalled that the Adamawa Assembly on June 18 directed it Clerk, Francis Gbansenso, to serve Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, with notices of impeachment on allegations of gross misconduct, but the clerk told the House on Monday that he had not been able to serve them because they had been evasive.
The House then sought permission of the court to serve them the impeachment notice through the media, but the court declined the request.