Zamfara: Matawalle set to lose governorship seat over defection to APC

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State is set to lose his governorship position following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of the governor from office due to his defection to the APC.

In the suit filed by its lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), the PDP asked the court to declare the impeached Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau as the duly elected governor of Zamfara State.

The PDP is also asking the court to sack about 37 members of the National Assembly and the state assembly who defected to the APC.

In his reaction, counsel to Matawalle, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) sought an extension of time to file their responses to the matter.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, however, fixed April 7 for a hearing of the suit following an application for joinder and the submissions of lawyers in the matter.

Recall that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe, for dumping PDP for APC.

Delivering judgement on Tuesday, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered Umahi and his Deputy to immediately vacate their officer, asking INEC to replace them with a candidate from PDP.

He held that the total number of 393, 042 votes Umahi secured during the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi state, belonged to the PDP and cannot be transferred to the APC.

Ekwo said that following the outcome of the governorship election, the office of the governor and deputy governor in Ebonyi state, “belong to the Plaintiff and no other political party”