LP Drops Cryptic Message After Suspicious Court Judgment Sacked Another Governor, Declared APC Winner
The Labour Party (LP) has issued a response following a controversial court judgment that removed another Governor.
The LP reacted after the removal of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In a judgment on Sunday, the Court ordered the withdrawal of Mutfwang’s certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the issuance of a new one to Nentawe Goshwe of the APC, who it declared as the valid winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Mutfwang became the third opposition governor to be ousted by the Court of Appeal within three days.
However, Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesman for the LP Campaign Organisation, shared insights into the party’s perspective on these sackings, suggesting a potential influence from individuals in the executive arm of government using the judiciary to capture the states.
In an interview with Punch, Tanko expressed concerns, stating, “As I said earlier, these particular set of people in power are vicious politicians. I repeat the word vicious again for emphasis. Gradually, we are beginning to witness completely captured states where all the institutions have already been bought, intimidated, or blackmailed to do the bidding of the present political party and the government in power.”
He continued, “It is now left for us to really challenge these particular people; otherwise, they are going to take us completely to the cleaners. And they don’t care how, when, and where they do it as long as it favors them. This is the danger.”
Tanko emphasized the potential impact on democracy, stating, “Now the electorates are being discouraged from going out to vote for candidates of their choice knowing that the mandate can be snatched. They are already in control of the state apparatus.”
In conclusion, he drew parallels with historical political shifts, noting, “We had a similar situation at a point when the PDP was in power. These particular people in power will be referencing how virtually everybody was joining the PDP (during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration) then. There was no clear ideology, and that was what gave birth to the APC conglomerate. But in this case, it is a different matter entirely. These people in power are just too vicious.”
