APC Chieftain says Governor Mutfwang frustrating legislators in Plateau

Bitrus Shaina, an APC chieftain and member of the Asiwaju Tinubu/Shetima Professional Forum, claims that Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang is attempting to undermine the party's state chapter.

Speaking to The Sun, Shaina observed that the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had invalidated the elections of all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MPs in Plateau because the party did not have the structure to sponsor candidates in the elections.

He also stated that before this, the same court had dismissed all federal legislators elected on the PDP platform and ordered that certificates of return be withdrawn from them and issued to the first runners-up in the elections, with the APC and Labour Party candidates benefiting.

However, he observed that while the National Assembly has followed the court's orders and the APC, LP, and ADP candidates have been inaugurated in both chambers, the state legislators have yet to take office, accusing Governor Mutfwang of thwarting all attempts to inaugurate the house.

He said that the governor influenced the postponement of the resumption of the State Assembly.

According to him, “The sacked PDP lawmakers have taken advantage of the lacuna to demand that they be returned to their seats against the order of the court, hinging their argument on the Supreme Court judgment affirming the election of Governor Mutfwang.

“Though the sacked PDP members used the delay to explore the legal angle, their case suffered a huge setback, as the application was dismissed for lacking in merit. The court in its wisdom dismissed the case in totality for a waste of judicial time.

“In November 2023, the speaker announced a two-month recess and promised not to swear in the incoming new members until January, but more than a month after that, he had still failed to reconvene the House.

"It is believed that he is doing so on the orders of the governor. The Constitution stipulates that any House that does not sit for 181 days will be shut down and any member who does not sit for 60 days would have his seat automatically vacated.”