The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the reported attempt by the police to undermine the statutory powers of the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.
The alleged move is coming on the heels of the decision by Governor Bello Matawalle to vacate his office. He had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said their position was predicated on the reported harassment of the Deputy Governor by the police, including an unlawful and vexatious obstruction of a planned rally by the Deputy Governor, despite the statutory powers vested “in a situation where the governor has vacated his office, in line with the extant ruling of the Supreme Court.”
The opposition party said instead of harassing Deputy Governor Gusau, the police, as agents of the law, should be providing him all the protection and privileges, particularly as the formal process for his official declaration (as governor) on the vacation of office by Matawalle has already commenced at the Federal High Court.
The PDP said the Police should know that by virtue of section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the judgment of the Supreme Court in Falake v. INEC (2016), that “the Zamfara governorship mandate belongs to the PDP and that Gusau, not Matawalle, is now the holder of that mandate, given Matawalle’s willful defection to the APC.”
The party said the mandate was in no way transferable to the APC and the police and all security agencies should be guided by this.
The PDP also cautioned banks and other financial institutions to be wary of unapproved financial transactions with cronies of Governor Matawalle, particularly, given the alleged moves to sweep the coffers of the state ahead of Matawalle’s inevitable eviction by the court.
The party said such institutions should be very circumspect in their dealings with impostors “who have since ceased to represent the state, immediately Matawalle defected to the APC.”
The party called on Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, to remain resolute and not be deterred in any way as “the people of Zamfara state are solidly behind him in resisting impostors and deserters at this trying time.”
The party also urged the people of Zamfara state to remain united as the mandate, which they willingly gave to the PDP, would never be allowed to be stolen by traitors.
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