Zamfara: Why PDP can’t force Mattawalle to step down – Shinkafi
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state, Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi has insisted that defection of of the state governor, Mohammed Bello Mutawalle from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC was a right direction with no legal implications whatsoever
Shinkafi, a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who defected along with the governor to APC spoke on the hills of recent battle by the PDP to force the governor to relinquish his seat following his defection, maintained that the defection was not against the provisions of the country’s constitution
‘Unless the provisions of the nation’s constitution are changed, no amount of pressure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will cause Bello Matawalle to step down as the governor of Zamfara state,” Sani Shinkafi said.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the former All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Zamfara state governorship candidate, also called on security agencies to invite and interrogate PDP leaders for claiming that the governor has vacated his seat for defecting from the PDP on whose platform he was elected.
He said: “It is extremely laughable that the PDP that celebrated the defection of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from the APC to the PDP with such elaborate ballyhoo and fanfare would muster the effrontery to attempt to remove Governor Bello Matawalle from office for defecting to the APC. Once again, it is simply ridiculous.”
He added: “We are also wondering why the PDP which benefited from the defection of Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from APC to PDP, did not see anything wrong with such
defections.
He said it was also a wonder that the PDP which did not challenge the earlier erections of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Ben Ayade of Cross River State was suddenly waking up from its deep slumber to isolate Governor Matawalle’s defection for litigation, wondering why they did nothing to stop Matawalle from defecting after his known grievance over the last
one year.
He affirmed that the governor was fully protected by section 308 of the 1999 as it grants him constitutional immunity from being criminal proceeding.
“No constitutional or Electoral Act provisions state that Governor must continue to remain in office under the same party on whose platform he contested and won an election, so as to sustain his governorship position. The days ahead will definitely show some interesting legal fireworks. “
Shinkafi advised the state deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, who remains in the PDP, to refrain from any action that may cause the state more problems, noting that he was still young man who should work to maintain his seat.
