The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dragged Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
PDP, under whose platform Matawalle was elected, is praying the court to declare his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as illegal.
The main opposition party is also seeking the removal of the Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Mahadi Aliyu Gusau.
The requests formed 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.
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The plaintiffs are relying on a Supreme Court judgement to the effect that the APC had no candidates in the 2019 governorship election in Zamfara State, having not conducted valid primaries, and it would therefore 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.
The plaintiffs are urging the court to compel Matawalle and Gusau to resign from their positions as governor and deputy governor before declaring their allegiance to the APC.
The plaintiffs moved their motion ex-parte through their counsel, Kanu Agabi SAN, a former Attorney-General of the Federation.
After listening to the motion, the judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, granted an order of substituted service of the originating processes on the governor and deputy governor.
Justice Ekwo, who ordered the defendants to be served with all court papers through the National Secretariat of APC in Abuja, fixed July 16 for the report of court papers on the two defendants.