By Milcah Tanimu
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has spoken out following the Court of Appeal’s judgment in November last year, which sacked all 16 members of the PDP in the Plateau State House of Assembly, five PDP members of the House of Representatives, and two senators over a pre-election matter. The appellate court also annulled Governor Mutfwang’s election, but the Supreme Court recently reversed this decision.
Governor Mutfwang, while addressing the matter, emphasized the importance of justice and fairness. He expressed gratitude for the concerns shown by Nigerians and stated that discussions are ongoing regarding the situation. Although he did not provide a definitive answer, he assured that the path chosen would be revealed to the public.
The Court of Appeal’s sweeping verdict was based on allegations of disobedience to a court order and lack of political structure. The apex court’s reversal of the decision for Governor Mutfwang brings attention to the broader issue of electoral cases terminating at different levels of the judiciary.
Some Nigerians have called for amendments to the Electoral Act to streamline electoral cases to the Supreme Court, while others suggest that the affected lawmakers should approach the Appeal Court for a review in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment.
Governor Mutfwang expressed gratitude for the concerns raised by Nigerians and hoped that justice, fairness, and equity would become fundamental values for the nation’s existence. The purpose of his visit to the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was to acknowledge the Fund’s interventions in Plateau State’s beneficiary institutions. The TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, praised the completion rate of projects in the state and highlighted that five research proposals in Plateau State would benefit from the Federal Government’s N5.1 billion research grants.