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The Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, on Wednesday, said he chose to remain in the People Democratic Party (PDP) to honour the mandate given to the party by the Supreme Court.
Aliyu and a member of the State House of Assembly refused to join the governor, Bello Matawalle and other elected officials in defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday.
In an interview with BBC Hausa service, Aliyu, who is a son of a former Minister of Defence, Ali Gusau, opposed moving to the ruling APC, arguing that the apex court awarded the electoral victory in 2019 to the PDP and not just its candidates.
“Remember how the Supreme Court brought us to power. That’s why I am thankful to God and chose to remain in the PDP,” Aliyu said.
The governor officially defected to APC on Tuesday, ending months of speculation and denial.
Matawalle announced his defection late Tuesday evening at the Gusau Trade Fair Complex during an event attended by APC governors, ministers and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
But the deputy governor said he was never consulted on the plan to defect, saying:“I heard everything as a rumour until by 6pm on 29th June when he (the governor) announced his defection to the ruling APC.”
“Since my father brought the party(PDP), we never for once left the party. They met us in the PDP and they will left us there,” the deputy governor said.
Aliyu added that the PDP will seek redress in court over the “desertion of its elected officials.”
He further stated that he will continue as the deputy governor to serve the four years constitutional mandate given to him.
Aliyu, who ruled out being impeached, said: “That is a big work. I have a good working relationship with the governor, he zends me on important assignments, including PDP governors meetings.”
“It’s not a new thing in Nigerian politics for governor and his deputy to belong to different political parties and complete their constitutional mandate together and I hope this too shall come to pass in Zamfara,” he said.