Court Strikes Out Gwarzo Suit After Impeachment Withdrawal

A Federal High Court in Kano has struck out the suit filed by immediate past Kano State Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, who sought to halt impeachment proceedings initiated against him by the Kano State House of Assembly.

Justice S.M. Shuaibu delivered the ruling on Thursday, April 16, 2026, after counsel to Gwarzo, Umar Danbaito, informed the court that his client had decided to discontinue the case.

The development effectively brings to a close the legal challenge that began on March 25, 2026.

Gwarzo had approached the court seeking an order to restrain the Assembly from proceeding with his impeachment, which was initiated on March 5, 2026, and endorsed by 38 out of 40 lawmakers.

The notice, read during plenary presided over by Speaker Jibril Falgore (also referred to as Ismail Falgore in some reports), accused the deputy governor of gross misconduct, abuse of office, breach of public trust, and allegations of receiving kickbacks from the 44 local government councils in the state between June 2023 and January 2024. The process was in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Earlier, the same court, presided over by Justice Shuaibu, had declined to grant Gwarzo an interim injunction to stop the impeachment, ruling that he failed to meet the required conditions for an ex-parte order.

The court instead directed that the Assembly and other respondents be put on notice to respond to the substantive suit.

The impeachment saga unfolded amid intense political realignments in Kano State. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move Gwarzo reportedly declined to follow, choosing instead to remain aligned with the NNPP and the broader Kwankwasiyya political structure.

This divergence reportedly strained relations, leading to the Assembly’s move against the deputy governor.

Gwarzo formally resigned from office in early April 2026. In response, the Kano State House of Assembly, during a plenary session, officially withdrew the impeachment notice and dropped all charges against him. The withdrawal was confirmed in a statement by the Speaker’s spokesperson and through a motion moved by the Majority Leader.

With the impeachment proceedings already abandoned and Gwarzo no longer in office, the suit had become largely academic. Yesterday’s formal withdrawal by his counsel terminated the matter entirely, with no further comments issued immediately by Gwarzo or his legal team.

No immediate replacement for the deputy governor position has been confirmed in the latest reports, though names such as Jibril Falgore and Murtala Sule Garo have been mentioned in political circles as possible contenders.