The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked a Federal High Court to sack Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and his deputy, Idi Barde Gubana, from office and install Ambassador Umar Iliya as governor.
The suit was filed by the PDP, Iliya and Baba Abba Aji, governorship candidate and running mate under the PDP in the February 2019 governorship election.
Those joined in the suit are: Buni, Gubana, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the suit by their counsel, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), the plaintiffs are seeking an order of the court that Buni breached the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 “when as governor of Yobe State he accepted 3rd defendant (APC)’s appointment as the caretaker committee chairman and proceeded to occupy the office.”
They further want the court to declare that Buni “has ceased to hold the office of the governor of Yobe State having regard to the clear provision of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
They want the court to declare that the governor’s tenure as chairman of the APC caretaker committee while still remaining governor was wrongful, null and void and proceed to direct the Chief Judge of the state or any other relevant judge, in his absence, to “immediately swear in the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs as governor and deputy governor of Yobe State, the offices having become vacant.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
Your suit has no substance – APC
Reacting last night in a telephone chat with Daily Trust, the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said, “there is no substance in it. So the court has the responsibility to strike out the suit.”
He said Governor Buni was elected by the people of the state and can’t just be removed from office.
Also reacting, Buni’s media aide, Mamman Mohammed, said the court would strike out the suit for lack of merit.
