The
Peoples Democratic Party has asked an Abuja Federal High Court to sack
its five governors who recently defected to the All Progressives
Congress.
The governors are Alhaji Murtala Nyako
(Adamawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu
Kwakwanso (Kano) and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara).
The Independent National Electoral
Commission was also listed as a defendant in the suit filed on behalf
of the PDP by Alex Izinyon (SAN).
In the suit, the ruling party argued
that the governors should be sacked on the grounds that by their
defection, they had forfeited their offices.
In the event that the governors are
sacked from office, PDP wants the court to order the deputy governors or
speakers of their state Houses of Assembly to assume their
positions.
The PDP asked the court for several
reliefs, among which, is a declaration that by the combined provisions
of sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the 1999 Constitution, the
governors could not continue to enjoy the mandate given to it (PDP) by
the people/electorate as they (governors) had defected to another
political party.
The court was also requested by the
PDP to make a declaration that in the absence of any division in the
PDP, the governors had vacated or forfeited their seats upon their
defection to the APC.
Also, the FHC was asked to make a
declaration that, by the combined provisions of sections 87 of the
Electoral Act 2011 (as amended), and sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c)
of the 1999 Constitution, the offices of the governors had reverted to
the PDP.
It also wants the court to make a
declaration that, by the combined provisions of sections 177 (c), 221
and 222 (c) of the 1999 Constitution, upon the defection of the
governors, the mandates revert to the deputy governors or the speakers
of Houses of Assembly of the respective states or any other officers
next in rank who are still members of the PDP.
The PDP demanded a declaration that
by the combined provisions of sections 177 (c), 221 and 222 (c) of the
1999 Constitution, the act of defection by the governors from the party,
on whose platform they were elected, amounted to gross misconduct.
The party, in the same vein, asked the
court to make an order mandating/directing the Houses of Assembly of
Adamawa, Rivers, Sokoto, Kano and Kwara states to commence impeachment
proceedings against the governors. sourced from punch newspaper
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