A Federal High Court in Gusau has dismissed a suit seeking to remove Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, from office.
The suit, no FHC/GS/CS/14/2021, was filed by one Alhaji Bashir Saleh, Ibrahim Muhammed Turaki and Andulhamid Haruna in the Federal High Court.
According to a report by TheWill, the plaintiffs had prayed the court to declare that the first and second defendants (Gov Bello Matawalle and Alhaji Mahdi Aliyu Gusau), who won the election on the platform of the PDP to vacate office following their defection to the APC on June 29, 2021.
The plaintiffs, through their counsel, J. C Shaka, however, amended the originating summon and excluded the second defendant (the deputy governor) for remaining in the PDP.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC and Attorney-General of the Federation, were joined as third, fourth and fifth defendants respectively in the suit.
The plaintiffs had asked the court to restrain the fourth and fifth defendants from recognizing and dealing the first and second defendants among other prayers.
In his ruling on Monday, Justice Aminu Bappah Aliyu, held that the original summons filed by the plaintiffs lacked merit as the matter before the court was neither election matter nor election process.
Aliyu said it was only an election tribunal or state House of Assembly that could remove a governor from office.
The court, therefore, awarded the cost of N1m to each of the defendants to be paid by the plaintiffs.