Defection: Sack Amaechi, others now, PDP begs court

PDP Chairman, Tukur

A serious crisis is brewing in the polity as 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.