Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, who was ousted by an Appeals Court ruling, has downplayed the event as a ‘temporary setback’ for his political career which he will overcome soon.
Through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, the governor, in a statement, emphasized that the termed “temporary setback” will not hinder his efforts to realign the state toward unity, peace, and progress.
In a message to the state’s citizens and PDP supporters, the governor stressed the importance of remaining calm, expressing confidence that God, reigning on the throne, will ensure the preservation and protection of his mandate.
In light of the judgment, the governor has given instructions to his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.
‘He expressed strong optimism that the mandate overwhelmingly given to him by the people of Plateau State would be restored, as he has instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court,’ the statement partly read.
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As the situation unfolds, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state have kicked off celebratory events, rolling out drums to mark the Appellate Court’s decision to sack Mutfwang.
Party loyalists convened in various sections along Tudun Wada Ring Road in the Jos North Local Government Area on Sunday, expressing their happiness with musical instruments playing danceable tunes.
An Appeal Court in Abuja pronounced its verdict on Sunday, resulting in the removal of Mutfwang.
In her Sunday ruling, lead Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide a Certificate of Return to the APC candidate, Nentawe Goshwe.
Justice Williams-Dawodu deemed the Tribunal’s confirmation of Governor Mutfwang’s election highly incompetent, setting aside the judgment in response.
The court found fault with the Tribunal’s decision to reject the APC’s petition, arguing that the party had no right to get involved in the affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a violation of Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 134 (C) of the Electoral Act.