Sack Zamfara Governor Over Defection to APC, PDP Urges Court

Sack Zamfara Governor Over Defection to APC, PDP Urges Court

  • The PDP has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja over the defection of Governor Bello Matawalle
  • According to the PDP, the APC as a party did not participate in the last governorship election in the state and as such cannot have a governor
  • As a result of this, the party asked the court to compel the governor to resign and for INEC to conduct a fresh election

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be ready to truncate the dream of Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle as the executive governor of Zamfara state following his recent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

To achieve this, the party has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to sack the governor, The Nation reports.

Governor Matawalle should be sacked over his defection to APC, PDP urges court
The PDP has approached the court to sack Zamfara governor over defection to APC. Photo: Bello Matawalle
Source: UGC

The PDP based its position on an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, to the effect that the APC had no candidates in the 2019 governorship election in Zamfara state.

Read also

Tension in Zamfara as deputy governor moves to take over Matawalle’s seat, police take action, PDP reacts

According to the party, based on this, it would be unlawful for Matawalle to retain his office and transfer PDP’s victory to the APC.

The party consequently wants the court to declare that Matawalle and his deputy should resign and allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within three months, for the PDP to replace them.

Also, the party in a statement on its Facebook page asked banks not to transact any business with the Zamfara state government.

PDP challenges the legality of members' defection

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the National Working Committee of PDP approved a legal team led by a former attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Godwin Kanu-Agabi, to challenge the defection of Governor Matawalle.

Matawalle recently joined the ruling APC from the PDP after the Supreme Court disqualified the APC in the Zamfara governorship elections in 2019.

Read also

Defection: PDP’s legal team to oust Zamfara governor constituted

The legal action was not limited to Matawalle, as it would also challenge the legality of the defection of members of the national and state assemblies from Zamfara state.

Also, a massive crowd of PDP supporters on Saturday, July 10, came out to welcome the deputy governor of Zamfara state Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.

Gusau returned to the state for the first time since his decision to stay put in the PDP after his principal defected to the APC.

Those who accompanied the deputy governor include his father General Aliyu Gusau (rtd), and PDP caretaker committee members. Gusau, 32, had earlier expressed his resolve to remain in the PDP.

The deputy governor said he remains a member of the opposition PDP despite the move of his boss to the APC.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Aanu Adegun avatar

Aanu Adegun Aanu Adegun is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in both digital and traditional media. A graduate of English Studies from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state. Aanu joined Legit.ng in 2016 covering politics and current affairs. Aanu started his journalism career as a features writer. He once anchored some specialised pages of a national newspaper. You can reach him via - aanu.adegun@corp.legit.ng

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