Appeal Court reverses Nyako’s impeachment

The July 15, 2014 impeachment of former governor of Adamawa State, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), was on Thursday reversed by a Court of Appeal sitting in Yola.
To the court, the impeachment carried out by the House of Assembly was illegal because it was not carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law.
Nyako was sacked after 17 of the 25 lawmakers adopted the report of a panel set up to investigate allegations of corruption against him.
The report had found the governor guilty of all the 16 allegations of gross misconduct he was accused of.
Justice Tunde Ayotoye, who delivered the lead judgement, averred that all the judges unanimously agreed that Nyako was not given fair hearing in the impeachment proceedings, asserting that his right was violated.
While declaring all processes that led to the impeachment null and void, the judges ordered that Nyako be accorded all rights of the office of the governor of the North-East state throughout the period of office, and be paid all his entitlement as governor while it lasted.
The court, however, struck out Nyako’s appeal to be returned as the state’s chief executive, noting that his tenure as governor had since elapsed.
The judges further faulted the “impunity and arrogance” of the Adamawa State lawmakers and some politicians, in setting up a panel to investigate Nyako despite a court order against such move.