Presidency distances self from sack of Plateau Gov, says PDP is to blame

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Presidency has faulted those complaining over the judgment of the Appeal Court sacking Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should be blamed for the sack of its governor, Mutfwang and not the president or the judiciary.

Onanuga pointed out that PDP used an illegal caretaker committee to conduct primaries in Plateau State, despite a court order.

The Appeal Court had set aside the judgement of the governorship election tribunal that upheld the election of Mutfwang as governor of the state.

The court declared Dr Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the governorship election while ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a fresh certificate of return to him.

Reacting, Onanuga recalled how the All Progressives Congress, (APC) lost Zamfara State in 2019 over illegal primaries.

Posting on X with the title: “The avoidable fate of Caleb Mutfwang,” Onanuga wrote: “To those crying and complaining about the judgment of the Appeal Court in nullifying the Election of Governor Caleb Mutfwang, they seem to have forgotten history so quickly.

He said: “In 2019, all Zamfara elected officials and members of the APC, from governor to state and National Assembly lawmakers lost their posts because the APC failed to carry out legally valid primaries.

“The PDP, failing to learn from history, repeated the same illegality, using an illegal caretaker committee to conduct primaries, despite a court order.

“Blame the PDP for the electoral setback, not the APC, the judiciary, INEC and President Tinubu.

“Non-compliance with the electoral law and the constitution is also at the root of the nullification of the election of Kano governor, Abba Yusuf. Those blaming the judiciary and being emotional about the ruling should face reality. Yusuf was sacked based on the law. I believe we all want our country to be guided by the rule of law.