The decision of an Appeal Court to remove Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang from office has been characterised by the governor as a temporary setback.
The governor added in a statement issued through Gyang Bere, his director of press and public affairs, that the “temporary setback” would not stop him from putting the state back on the path of progress, unity, and peace.
The governor encouraged state residents and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backers to maintain their composure and gave them assurances that God’s will would be upheld as long as he is king.
The governor declared that he has given his legal counsel instructions to appeal to the Supreme Court.
“He has instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court, as he expressed strong optimism that the mandate overwhelmingly given to him by the people of Plateau State would be restored,” a portion of the statement said.
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As this was going on, state-wide All Progressives Congress (APC) members were rolying drums in celebration of the appellate court’s decision to fire Mutfwang.
Party supporters flocked to various locations along the Tudun Wada Ring Road in the state’s Jos North Local Government Area on Sunday to celebrate by playing danceable music on their instruments.
Mutfwang was fired on Sunday by an Abuja Appeal Court.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was directed by lead Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu to grant a Certificate of Return to APC candidate Nentawe Goshwe in her decision on Sunday.
Judge Williams-Dawodu declared the Tribunal’s decision upholding Governor Mutfwang’s election to be incredibly incompetent and overturned it.
The court claims that Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 134 (C) of the Electoral Act were violated by the tribunal’s decision to dismiss the petition filed by the APC and its candidate on the grounds that they had no business interfering with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on whose platform Mutfwang was elected.
