Court nullifies impeachment of Plateau’s Quaan-Pan LG chairman, orders his reinstatement
A Plateau State High Court has nullified the impeachment of o former chairman of Quaan-Pan Local Government Area of the state, Hon. Isaac Kwallu, and ordered his immediate reinstatement in office.
Periscopeinternational.com recalls that Kwallu was impeached on August 5, 2020 by the Quan-Pan Local Government Legislative Council.
The chairman was impeached by the Council’s lawmakers for alleged breach of due process in the award of contracts, inflated contracts, diversion and misappropriation of Council funds, failing to convene Security Council meetings, refusal to make counterpart contribution for joint State/LGA projects like the State University in Bokkos, among others.
He was also prior to his impeachment suspended from office by the Plateau State House of Assembly for alleged sundry offenses, prominent among which was his refusal to honor an invitation extended to him to appear before the state legislature to respond to certain allegations against him following a report by a fact-finding team of the lawmakers.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Nafisat Musa described Kwallu’s suspension and impeachment as “not just illegal but a stage-managed drama,” and nullified the impeachment and ordered his reinstatement in office.
The Judge also granted all the reliefs, prayers and privileges of the impeached chairman, which included ordering the release of his three official cars in the custody of the Court to him.
According to the Judge, the judgment “is in the interest of justice, fairness and to the growth of democracy in the country.”
Kwallu had earlier in June 2020 secured an interim injunction from the court against his suspension from office by the Plateau State House of Assembly.
He had also obtained an order restraining the Quaan-Pan lawmakers from commencing any impeachment procedures against him, pending the final determination of the substantive case before the court.
However, before the order could be served on all the relevant authorities and parties, the councilors hurriedly impeached him based on the myriad allegations raised against him.
Among the reliefs and prayers sought from the court by the embattled chairman were an order setting aside the or nullifying any purported impeachment, directing the Deputy Chairman of the LGC who was sworn in to replace him to vacate the seat of the chairman of and for him to be reinstated.
He had also prayed the court to order that all his accrued entitlements, benefits and privileges should be reinstated.
He also sought an injunction restraining the Speaker and state legislators from further interfering in any matter whatsoever with his three years’ tenure of office.
Speaking to newsmen after the judgement, Kwallu’s counsel, Sunday Kara, described the judgment as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, and expressed happiness that all the reliefs sought by his client were granted without exception.
Kwallu on his part said that he had forgiven all those who conspired against him culminating in the events which triggered his impeachment.
Periscopeinternational.com, however, gathered that Kwallu’s impeachment was politically orchestrated as he was targeted for his inordinate ambition to contest last year’s Plateau South senatorial bye-election following the demise of the occupant, the late Senator Ignatius Longjan.
His ambition was said to have run into a collision course with the political interests of some powerful political forces in the state, who were up in arms against him to ensure that he was ultimately sacrificed.
Whatever goes up must surely comes down. Congratulations to this able and dynamic young man Hon. Isaac Kwallu for your victory over these dark men that interfere in your programs. Light will always illuminate in the dark.