Anxiety Over Plot to Declare Amaechi, Wammako, Others' Seats Vacant

Desperate Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders renewed yesterday their push for the removal of the five governors who dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The plan is to use the court to declare vacant their seat, The Nation learnt yesterday.

The governors are Rotimi Amaechi(Rivers), Murtala Nyako(Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso(Kano), Aliyu Wammako(Sokoto) and Abdulfatai Ahmed(Kwara).

The hawks in PDP are said to be considering filing an ex-parte motion at any high court which will lead to a declaratory order asking the governors to leave office immediately.

But President Goodluck Jonathan is said to have asked the PDP leaders behind the plot to pull the brakes on it because of its likely consequences on the nation’s political environment.

One of the lawyers engaged in filing the suit last night however said: “We have not yet filed any document in court.

“I think the President has not agreed with the PDP leaders who are pushing the matter. The President has asked them to stay action.”

It was learnt that some PDP leaders were shocked by the threat which the defection last Tuesday might pose to the PDP’s electoral fortunes.

They were said to have agreed on creating legal hurdles for the governors.

It was learnt that the party has already secured the services of a 10-man legal team, including Chief Alex Iziyon (SAN), who is more or less the counsel to the President; Phebian Ajogu (SAN), Austin Alegeh (SAN) and a Northern constitutional Lawyer.

A source said: “We learnt that the PDP is either considering filing a motion ex-parte or pushing for accelerated hearing of its application.

“But some leaders of the party are in favour of a motion ex-parte. Once the application is granted, the five governors will be asked to vacate office immediately or be ejected from office.

“In fact, the PDP is banking on the invocation of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution to support its application. This Section was invoked by the Supreme Court to declare Amaechi as the Governor of Rivers State.

“The party is claiming that the governorship tickets of the five governors belong to the PDP and not the occupants.

“Also, we learnt that the party might apply the principle of ‘Case Stated’ to compel a Federal High Court to ask for interpretations of Section 221 from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to seal the fate of the governors at the lower court.”

As at press time, a meeting of the APC governors was being convened at Kano Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro District, Abuja.

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