The Supreme Court on Friday sacked Garba Umar, acting governor, Taraba State.
Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who delivered the lead judgment, also ordered the immediate swearing in of Sanni Danladi, former deputy governor of Taraba State as governor, who was impeached by the Taraba House of Assembly in October 2012.
Danladi was impeached about a month before Governor Dambaba Suntai was involved in an air mishap. Umar, who was appointed to replace Danladi, was later made the acting governor, following Suntai’s ill health resulting from the air mishap.
The court, in a unanimous decision, held that the impeachment panel raised by the House that investigated allegations against Danladi violated his rights to fair hearing, saying the impeachment panel failed to hear the former deputy governor.
The court also held that the impeachment panel failed to honour Danladi’s court papers which he served on it to challenge its composition.
The court set aside the judgments of Taraba State High Court and the Court of Appeal which dismissed Danaladi’s suit.
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Justice Ngwuta said that the two courts ought to have resolved the issue of fair hearing in favour of Danladi.
The court also said it was illegal for 19 members of the state House of Assembly who prepared the impeachment notice to have sat at a guest house belonging to the majority leader.
Justice Ngwuta described the impeachment panel as a “kangaroo panel”, noting that there was a conspiracy between the impeachment panel and the lawmakers.
