PDP will reclaim its mandate in Zamfara — Secondus to Matawalle
…Says, the governor’s decamping, laughable
By Abba-Eku Onyeka, Abuja
Following the recent decamping of Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Uche Secondus says the PDP plans to reclaim its mandate in the state.
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara recently decamped from the party to the ruling APC, a decision the PDP National Chairman described as laughable.
Addressing journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, the PDP National Chairman said: “Few days back, we got a letter for decamping from the PDP to the APC by the governor of Zamfara state, which National Publicity Secretary addressed the press on, on Monday and today we are here to state the position of our party on it. Therefore the PDP is watching the development in the state, as it concerns the plans Gov. Bello Matawalle has made by crossing over to the APC.
“From all indications, Matawalle has lost memory on how he became a governor and now he needed to be reminded that no law allows him to cross over to another political party, within the governorship mandate statutorily given to the PDP through the ballot box, as already established in the provision of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the standing judgement of the Supreme Court Of Nigeria (SCN) is unambiguous who owns the mandate.
“The combined reading of S.221 of the 1999 Constitution and the pronouncement of the SCN in Falake vs Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2016 is clear, in holding that it is the political party that stands for election; the votes scored in the election belongs to the political party; that the candidate nominated to contest at any election but its party is only acts only as an agent to its party.
“The PDP therefore cautions members of the National and the State Assembly, not to allow themselves to be pushed into losing their seats. Provision of the constitution is very clear, in baring lawmakers from cross – carpeting without any crisis.”
Uche Secondus however said such action could be taken, if there is division in a political party upon which platform they were elected. “There is no division in the PDP to warrant defection by any of our law makers. The PDP hopes that Bello Matawalle as well as members of National and State House of Assembly from Zamfara state House of Assembly would take caution and time to study the constitution and the SCN judgement, so as to not shoot themselves at the foot,” he advised.
To strengthen the party, he informed that its National Working Committee (NWC) has approved and announced the dissolution of Zamfara state executives of the party. He said that the decision was in line with the provision of S. 29: 2b of the party’s constitution, 2017 as amended.
Calling on party members to continue to toe the way of democracy, he said: “It is important that we as a political party, the PDP are also set to go to court against Zamfara state governor, if it is true that he has left our party.”
Calling all the party members in the state to remain guided, Uche Secondus accused the APC of running a government of kidnapping, banditry, insecurity and similar vices, even as he said that the social media have it that the APC governors plan to abandon their states to celebrate killings of innocent citizens and hunger in Zamfara state.
Boasting that the PDP will form government come 2023 presidential election, the National Chairman said that the PDP is with the masses, not with the those governors with a vote each who abandon the party.
Disclosing that the PDP has support of majority citizens of Zamfara, as well as hailing the decision of over eight members of members of State House of Assembly and the deputy governor of the state, Uche Secondus therefore said that the PDP has more interest in the masses, against the interest of the chasing governors by the ruling APC.
