The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday hailed the judiciary for defending the Constitution as the Federal High Court Gusau, affirmed Bello Muhammad Matawalle as Zamfara State Governor.
The Secretary of the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe in a statement, in Abuja yesterday said the judiciary has lived up to its billings.
The statement read: “On behalf of the National Chairman of the APC National Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, the party hails the Judiciary for, again, defending the constitution and the popular mandate of Alhaji Bello Muhammad Matawalle as the Governor of Zamfara State.”
The Federal High Court (Gusau Judicial Division), in dismissing the suit challenging Bello Muhammad Matawalle governorship of Zamfara State upon his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the whole case was “devoid of merit.”
Akpanudoedehe further said: “Based on Monday’s judgment, the Court held that there is no provision in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) that states that a governor will lose his seat whenever he defects to another party other than the political party upon which he was elected.
“That Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle has the right to assembly and association concerning joining or belonging to a political party. In exercise of his right of freedom of association guaranteed under section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), he can defect to any party of his choice and still maintain his seat as the Governor of Zamfara State”.
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