PDP wants court to sack Zamfara Gov., Deputy Gov. over defection

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to sack Zamfara Governor and his Deputy – Bello Muhammad Matawalle and Mahadi Aliyu Gusau – over their defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The request forms part of the reliefs being sought in a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/489/2021 filed in the names of two PDP members from Zamfara State – Sani Kaura Ahmed and Abubakar Muhammed.

The plaintiffs are contending that, in view of an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, to the effect that the APC had no candidates in the 2019 governorship election in Zamfara State, having not conducted valid primaries, it would be unlawful for Matawalle and Gusau to retain their offices while defecting from the PDP to the APC, and thereby transfer PDP’s victory to the APC.

They want the court to among others declare that Matawalle and Gusua must resign from their offices before their defection to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election, within three months, for the PDP to replace them.

On Monday after listening to plaintiffs’ lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN) moved his ex-parte motion, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted an order of substituted service of the originating processes on the Governor and Deputy Governor.