Former Kaduna Senator Shehu Sani has denounced the removal of Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party won the governorship election on March 18 with 525,299 votes, while Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress received 481,370 votes.
Mutfwang’s victory was challenged at the Tribunal by Goshwe, who claimed Mutfwang was not legitimately nominated and sponsored by his PDP.
The petition was denied by the Tribunal for lack of merit, but the APC candidate appealed to the Court of Appeal.
On Sunday, an appeals court panel led by Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu overturned the Tribunal’s decision to uphold Governor Mutfwang’s election, calling it “highly incompetent.”
In addition, the appellate court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide a Certificate of Return to APC candidate Goshwe Yilwatda.
Sani called the verdict “unfortunate and unacceptable,” adding that it was a blatant robbery of the Plateau people’s will.
The ex-Senator announced this in a post on his X account on Sunday, only hours after the appellate court decision.
Sani wrote, “The Court of Appeal judgment against the electoral victory of the Plateau State Governor is unfortunate, unacceptable, and condemnable. A broad daylight heist of the will of the people The bench is becoming the coffin of democracy.”
In a swift reaction to the court’s ruling, the Plateau governor has ordered his lawyers to appeal the verdict of the appellate court sacking him on Sunday, noting that it is a “temporary setback.”
