A group, National Civil Society Consultative Forum on Election Integrity, has described the Appealed Court judgement that sacked plateau state governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang as a miscarriage of justice which must not be allowed to stand.
The group said if the judgment is allowed to stand it would be a threat to democracy and multi party system of government which could lead to voter apathy in future elections.
Blueprint reports that the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had set aside the judgement of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March 18 governorship election, saying the PDP had no candidate as at the time of the elections.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja , the Convener of the Forum, Salaudeen Hashim, said the decision of the court to sack all Peoples Democratic party candidates on the ground that they don’t have structure was unjust, unfair, and baseles dont have structure was unjust, unfair, and baseles.
He said: “The judgment of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja that nullified the election of Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang if left unattended to, will pose danger to our hard-earned democracy, this type of outcome will also breed hatred and voter apathy in subsequent elections.
“The Appeal Court panel based its decision on the premise that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State had no valid structure and had violated a state high court order that directed the party to conduct fresh congresses in the state.
“However, this claim is contradicted by the fact that the political party had complied with the court order and held a legitimate State Congress on the 25th of September 2021, where delegates from all the 17 local government areas of the state participated and elected their representatives.”
