The impeachment process against Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State suffered a setback, yesterday, as the state House of Assembly rejected a seven-member panel already probing allegations against the governor by the lawmakers.

The lawmakers arrived at the decision after considering a petition written by a group, Nasarawa Concerned Citizens accusing the State Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko who constituted the panel of bias.

The lawmakers had earlier fled the state capital and relocated to a remote Karu Local Government Area, citing insecurity to their lives.

After sitting for hours at a building in Karu Local Government Area, behind the local government secretariat, 19 members of the Assembly, all members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, resolved to reject the composition of the panel headed by Yusuf Usman accusing the Chief judge of disobeying the constitution in setting up the panel.

The four lawmakers, who belong to the governor’s All Progressives Congress, APC, were absent at the sitting. Announcing the decision of the Assembly, Speaker Musa Mohammed said that the composition of the panel negates the provision of Section188 of the Constitution.

Mr. Mohammed also said the panel has no right to sit until a guideline is forwarded to them by the Assembly.

He alleged that the panel was not formed in compliance with Section 188‑5 of the constitution that demands that people of integrity should be appointed into the panel.

The petition, on which the lawmakers based their decision was read on the floor of the Assembly, alleging that two of the seven members of the panel were card carrying members of PDP while others were on the pay-roll of the state government.

Deliberating on the petition, Francis Orogu (PDP, Keana constituency) argued that the panel violated the provisions of the constitution and urged the chief judge to “do the right thing to redeem his image.”

Also contributing, Abdulkarim Usman (PDP, Wamba constituency) asked the chief judge to reconstitute the panel.

Danladi Jatau moved a motion urging the chief judge to dissolve the panel while Philip Gyunka supported the motion.

The Speaker then directed the clerk to communicate the resolution to the chief judge. Reacting to the resolution of the Assembly, the Nasarawa State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Innocent Lagi, said that the action of the Assembly was the highest level of insanity. He urged residents of the state to disregard the resolution.