Joshua Omoloye, Politics Editor
Until Wednesday, 23rd February, 2023, Senator Hassan Muhammad Gusau represented Zamfara Central senatorial district and he was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
But same day, the lot fell on him and he was called upon to serve the state in another capacity as deputy governor.
Governor Bello Matawalle appointed him deputy governor after the state House of Assembly impeached Barrister Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.
The impeachment came about three hours after the seven man panel of Investigation submits it’s report to the House.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the house, Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, said the former Deputy Governor was found guilty of all the allegations levelled against him.
Speaker of the State Assembly, Magarya at plenary said the committee set up to investigate the former Deputy Governor found him guilty of all the charges levelled against him and directed his colleagues to proceed with individual voting of affirmation for the Deputy Governor to be impeached as required by the law.”
Kaura further stated, “20 out of 22 members voted in favour of the impeachment while the only PDP member of the House, Hon. Salihu Usman Zurmi, was conspicuously absent during today’s plenary.
“Having secured the required number of the votes as directed by the constitution, Speaker Magarya announced the impeachment of Barr Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau as the substantive Deputy Governor of the state”.
The impeachment process was unprecedented in Nigeria’s political history.
On Wednesday, the Zamfara State House of Assembly received a panel report that investigated the former deputy governor Mahdi Aliyu.
The Assembly redrafted the Order Paper in order to deliberate, consider and adopt the report , then voted for the removal of the deputy governor.
Same day, the Assembly received a letter from Matawalle nominating a new deputy governor, Senator Hassan Muhammad Gusau.
Same day, the Assembly redrafted the Order Paper to reflect invitation of the deputy governor-nominee for screening where he was grilled.
The Assembly went into the Committee of the Whole and later resumed plenary to screen the nominee.
Same day, the Clerk of the House of Assembly wrote the resolution and transmitted to the Governor Matawalle and upon receipt of the resolution, the Governor wrote to the state Chief Judge, Kulu Aliyu, inviting her to swear-in the new deputy governor.
The Chief Judge honoured the invitation and administer the oath of office to the new deputy governor.
Same day, the new deputy governor resigned as Senator and assumed office as the fifth deputy governor of Zamfara State.
Senator Hassan Muhammad Gusau join politics in 1999 and has held several appointments in his political career.
He was appointed as Commissioner for Health by former governor, Ahmad Sani Yarima. He also served as the Commissioner for Commerce, Commissioner for Environment, Commissioner for Water Resources, Commissioner for Land and Housing and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy between 1999-2007 .
He was the chairman of PDP in Zamfara State and a member of the PDP Board of Trustees.
In 2007, Hassan Muhammad Gusau picked nomination form to be elected as the senator representing Zamfara Central in the 7th Assembly under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ). He won the party primaries and was elected as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 8th Assembly. In 2011, He was elected for a second term in office under the same party PDP.
In the 9th Senate, he was the chairman Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
In June 2021, Senator Hassan Muhammad Gusau dumped PDP to join All progressive Congress (APC) alongside Governor Matawalle and many of his allies.
