The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State of the consequences of dumping the party.
Mr Matawalle after months of denial is now set to join the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) today, with 18 governors of the party set to welcome him into their fold.
In a statement after a press conference on Monday, the spokesman of the opposition party, Kola Olugbondiyan, cautioned that the governor will lose his seat should he defect to the APC, a threat that has never been carried out among Nigerian politicians known for cross carpeting at will.
The opposition party also warned National and State assembly lawmakers said to be defecting with the Zamfara helmsman.
“The PDP categorically cautions Bello Matawalle to know that his plans amounts to a decision to vacate office as no law allows him to cross over to any other party with the governorship mandate statutorily given to the PDP through the ballot box, as already established by the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the standing judgment of the Supreme Court,” Mr Ologbondiyan said.
“A combined reading of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution as the pronouncements of the Supreme Court in Faleke v. INEC (2016) is clear in holding that it is the political party that stands for election, that votes scored in election belong to the political party and that the candidate nominated to contest at an election by his party, acts only as the agent of his party.
“The PDP also cautions members of the National Assembly as well as members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, not to allow themselves to be pushed into losing their seats as the provisions of the constitution is very clear in barring lawmakers from cross carpeting, except in a situation of a division in the political party upon which platform they were elected.
“There is no division in the PDP to warrant the defection of any of our lawmakers.
“The PDP hopes that Bello Matawalle as well as members of the National and State Assembly from Zamfara state will take caution,” the statement added.
