By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted an order of substituted service of the originating processes on the Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle and Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mahadi Aliyu Gusau of Zamfara State, over alleged unlawful defection.
Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the state, are seeking to sack the Governor and his Deputy over their unlawful defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The plaintiffs, Alhaji Sani Kaura Ahmed and Abubakar Muhammed,
submitted 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 transferring PDP’s victory to the APC.
.In a suit, marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/489/2021, 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.
The court, yesterday, had in an ex-parte motion argued by the counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), granted an order of substituted service of the originating processes of the court on the respondents, through the National Secretariat of APC in Abuja.
Meantime, the matter is adjourned till July 16 for continuation.
