A Federal High Court sitting in Gusau the Zamfara state capital has today Monday Feb 7th 2022, dismissed a case brought before it seeking for the removal of governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle as the Executive Governor of Zamfara state following his defection from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to All Progressives Congress APC.
In a judgement delivered by the presiding Judge Justice Aminu Baffa Aliyu ruled that the originating summons filed before the court by the plaintiffs lacks merit, as the matter brought before the court was neither pre- election nor election matter.
He said the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the relief sought by the plaintiffs.
Justice Baffa further revealed that both the PDP and the Nigerian constitutions did not in anyway prohibit any person from joining any association or political party of his or her choice.
He declared that it is only the election tribunal or State House of Assembly that can remove the Governor from his office.
He therefore awarded the cost of one million Naira to each of the Five dependent in the suit, to be paid by the plaintiffs.
Earlier, the plaintiffs Bashir Saleh, Abdulhamid Hamma and Ibrahim Mohammed Turaki, represented by the lead Counsel J C Shaka sought for the declaration that; the first defendant Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle was returned by the forth dependent, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as duly elected to assume the duty of the office of the Executive Governor of Zamfara state on the 29th May 2019 by virtue of being the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP which scored the majority of the votes cast.
The second declaration demanded from the court by the plaintiffs is that, since the Gov is elected on the platform of the PDP, he should vacate the seat of Gov following his defection from the PDP to APC.
The 2 declarations were however contested, countered and defeated by the Gov Matawalle’s legal team led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome in an interesting and convincing argument.
Signed
Ibrahim Magaji Dosara
Hon Commissioner Information
Zamfara state.
