Security Beefs Up In Plateau, As Appeal Court Sacks another Governor

Heavy security presence has prevented a wild jubilation by the All Progressive Congress (APC) supporters in Plateau State, following the sack of Governor Caleb Muftwang by a Court of Appeal on Sunday.

The court had declared the APC candidate in the last March 18 Governorship Poll, Dr. Netanwe Yawatlda, as the winner of the poll.

Mobile force policemen kept vigil at strategic locations in Jos, the state capital, and other flashpoints across the state, after the news of the judgement filtered into the state.

But the heavy security deployment did not stop the supporters of the sacked governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts, from staging a massive protests against the judgement.

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The governor’s supporters converged at Gyel Roundabout in the Jos South, Angwan Rukuba junction in Jos North, and Riyeom Local Government Areas.

Shortly after the judgement, Governor Muftwang said he had instructed his legal team to challenge it at the Supreme Court.

Muftwang assured that the Apex Court would overturn the judgement urged his supporters to remain calm and maintain law and order.

The tribunal declared Daniel Listic of the Labour Party as the winner of the state constituency election.

In the judgment read by Justice Okon Abang, he held that the tribunal was right when it held it had jurisdiction to sit over the internal affairs of a political party with regard to non-qualification and the issue of sponsorship.

“It is my view that without complying with court order, there was no party by the name PDP in the election.

“It is a joke taken too far for a political party to disobey an order of court,” he added.

He noted that a court of law has jurisdiction to entertain a matter bordering on a political party especially if that party disobeys a subsisting order of a court.