PDP Moves To Unseat Matawalle, Gusau

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, kickstarted its move to unseat Zamfara State Governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, at the Federal High Court over alleged unlawful defection.

Also slated for removal from office is the Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Mahadi Aliyu Gusau, over the same issue.

Recall that Matawalle and his deputy announced their defection to APC about two weeks ago.

PDP asked the court to sack the Governor and his Deputy over their unlawful defection 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, Alhaji 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, has 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 transferring PDP’s victory to the APC.

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

When the legal battle was kickstarted through an ex-parte motion argued by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo granted an order of substituted service of the originating processes on the Governor and Deputy Governor.

By order, the governor and his deputy are to be served with all court papers through the National Secretariat of APC in Abuja.

Justice Ekwo thereafter fixed July 16 for the report of court papers on the two defendants.