Bauchi — The process of impeaching Bauchi State's Deputy Governor Alhaji Muhammad Garba Gadi ran into a hitch yesterday when the State House of Assembly said it was dissolving the 7-man investigative panel constituted last week by the State Chief Judge, Justice Sabo Suleiman Darazo.

The Chief Judge had constituted the panel to investigate alleged financial wrong doings leveled against the state deputy governor in the impeachment notice served on him last week.

At yesterday's session, the House presided over by the Speaker, Babayo Garba Gamawa, took the decision to dissolve the panel following a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Dayyabu Chiroma. He had said that due process was not followed by the Chief Judge in appointing and inaugurating members of the panel. Chiroma also said since there was a "loophole" in its constitution, the panel cannot function.

The Majority Leader said the action taken in constituting the panel contravened Section 188 of the constitution because, according to him, the Chief Judge had usurped the powers of the House. He then urged the members to "as a matter of necessity see why the mistake must be corrected."

After the motion was adopted, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to immediately write a letter conveying the dissolution of the Panel to the Chief Judge and also inform him of the need to reconstitute another panel "made up of people of unquestionable character that will fully investigate the allegations and the response by the Deputy Governor as enshrined in the constitution of the country."

The Speaker, who told the members that the impeachment notice containing the impeachable offences was served on the Deputy Governor by him and the Majority Leader in accordance with the constitution, also called on the Chief Judge to ensure that the constitution was duly followed in constituting the panel.

Meanwhile, the deputy governor has denied all the allegations made against him contained in the notice of impeachment served on him last week.