Zamfara Defection: PDP Chieftains Begin Legal Battle To Get Matawalle Sacked
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Following the suit instituted by two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Zamfara State against the defection of Governor Bello Matawalle from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, fixed July 16, 2021 to hear a suit.
The plaintiffs, Sani Kaura Ahmed and Abubakar Muhammed, in a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/489/2021, are asking the Court to sack Governor Matawalle and his deputy, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, over their defection which they claimed had made them illegible to continue to hold the positions.
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) a fortnight.
The Court presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo after listening to an ex-parte motion of the Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr Kanu Agabi SAN, urging the Court for an order to serve the 1st and 2nd defendants by substituted means by pasting the originating process at Zamfara State Liaison Office in Abuja granted the prayers.
Justice Ekwo thereafter adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit to July 16, 2021.
In the suit, Governor Matawalle, his deputy, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondent/defendants respectively, while the PDP is listed as a party to be joined in the suit.
The plaintiffs are contending that following an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, to the effect that the APC had no candidates in the 2019 Governorship Election in Zamfara State and having not conducted valid primaries, it would be unlawful for Governor Matawalle and his deputy, Mr Gusau to retain their offices having defected the PDP to the APC, thereby transferring their party, the PDP’s victory to the APC.
The plaintiffs through their Counsel, Mr Agabi want the Court to declare among others, that Governor Matawalle and Gusua ought to and must resign from their offices before the defecting to enable INEC conduct a fresh election within three months for the PDP to replace them.