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Defection: PDP withdraws suit seeking to sack Zamfara dep. gov

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday withdrew the name of the Zamfara Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mahadi Aliyu Gusau, from a suit seeking to unseat him and his principal, Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle before the Federal High Court over alleged unlawful defection.

The PDP through its counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), applied for withdrawal of the deputy governor’s name on the grounds that there was no evidence of defection from him. In a motion to that effect, PDP also formally took over the case as the 1st plaintiff on the grounds that the mandate being contested belonged to it. Following no objections from other counsel in the matter, the trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered removal of the deputy governor’s name.

The Judge also ordered that PDP be made the plaintiff and directed the party to amend and file all its processes within seven days. He subsequently fixed September 29 for mention into the suit. In the suit, the party is asking the court to sack the Governor over his unlawful defection from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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 to retain his office 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 must resign from his office before his defection to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election, within three months, for the PDP to replace them.

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