Defection: PDP asks court to sack Amaechi, others

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.



(Punch)



source: nigerianeye