Following last Friday’s Supreme Court judgement which upheld the election of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the North Central All Progressive Congress (APC) Forum has called on the governor to be magnanimous in victory.
Nentawe Yilwatda who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) had challenged the March 2023 election results in the court, arguing that the PDP is not qualified to contest the election because it has no valid excos, and so the party (PDP) has no structure.
The case commenced from the Election Tribunal to the Court of Appeal and eventually the Supreme Court where Mutfwang’s election was upheld by the Apex Court .
Speaking with newsmen therefore in reaction to the outcome of the judgement yesterday in Jos the Plateau State capital, the APC forum Chairman, Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, said the governor should work with all the parties in the state in order to move the state forward.
He said the election was tightly contested as well as the legal battles that followed, but that all that is part of healthy electoral process that is expected to unite all the parties as well as the winners and losers alike, rather than dividing them
And so, he said, the governor should develop the spirit of sportsmanship and draw his other contenders closer so that they can all put their hands on deck to develop the state.
According to Zazzaga, the state have several development challenges and security situations that requires the coming together of all the stakeholders irrespective of political parties or ethno-religious differences.
Zazzaga called on Governor Mutfwang to put framework in place that will seamlessly reach out to the contenders at the polls, especially Nentawe Yilwatda and Dr Patrick Dakum of the Labour Party, because they are both embodiment of knowledge too and their wealth of knowledge is needed for the advancement of the state
He urged the governor to also sincerely appreciate the congratulatory messages from Yilwatda and the Plateau State APC leader, the immediate past governor of the state and Senator representing the Plateau southern zone, Simon Lalong, saying their move is a pointer to their interest in the oneness and progress of the state.
The Chairman also urged the governor to seek the wise counsel of people like former governor and senator Joshua Dariye, Jonah Jang, Jeremiah Useni, among others, saying their guidance and advice is also vital.
He called on all his party (the APC)
leaders, members and supporters to join hands with the governor as he initiates, plan and executes policies that will uplift the state and bring the dividends of democracy to the people.
