Residents of Plateau State protested on Sunday against the judgement of the Court of Appeal that sacked Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
A Court of Appeal in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, sacked Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State and declared Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda as the 2023 Plateau Governorship election winner.
The Yilwatda and the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the victory of Muftwang, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, in the March 18 governorship election, declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The election tribunal upheld Muftwang as Plateau State governor, but Yilwatda appealed the verdict, and the appellate court upheld it.
The Plateau State governor plans to take his case to the Supreme Court.
But the residents described the judgement as “injustice.”
Philemon Jangkam, the youth leader of Angwan Rukuba Junction, called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review all the judgements regarding the 2023 elections in Plateau.
“We started noticing the injustice when the Court of Appeal sacked Rep. Isaac Kwallu, Senator Simon Mwadkon, Rep. Dachung Bagos, and other lawmakers.
“We, the youth of this community, are not happy, and we will not accept these judgments. We will continue to protest until this judgement and the ones that sacked our national assembly members are reviewed,” said Mr. Jankam.
Another youth, Samson Iliya, described the judgement as a deliberate subversion of the people’s will, adding that the peaceful protest was to express their displeasure with the judiciary.
“We are out here to express our displeasure over the appeal court judgements on the Plateau elections. We call on the NJC to review all the judgements so as to redeem the sinking image of the judiciary,” noted Mr. Iliya.
He added, “We massively voted for the governor and the sacked lawmakers; they are the choices of the majority of Plateau people, and we will not allow the judiciary to decide who should lead us.”
Pankyes Yanksat, a youth from Gyero Junction, advised Mr. Mutfwang to challenge the judgement at the Supreme Court immediately.
Mr. Yanksat, who expressed optimism that Mr. Mutfwang’s mandate would be restored, called on the apex court justices to keep emotions aside and go by the merits of the matter.
Chronicle NG reports that the sacking of the Plateau State governor by an appeal court comes two days after the New Nigeria People’s Party governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, was sacked by an appeal court.
The command had already placed anti-riot policemen at strategic locations and flash points across the state capital on Sunday morning.
The police placed the men on high alert to respond to any wild reactions from anyone and prevent any form of protest as a result of the court judgement.
Policemen later dispersed the protesters.
