Don’t blame judiciary for sack of your members, APC lawmaker tells PDP

Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency of Plateau State, has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to stop blaming the judiciary for the sack of its members from the National Assembly.

Mr Gagdi, a member of the APC, in a statement on Wednesday, said the sacking of PDP lawmakers from the state was self-inflicted and that the party should not blame the President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensen, for the development.

Mrs Dongban-Mensem is an indigene of Plateau State.

Background

The Court of Appeal has sacked several PDP lawmakers from Plateau State in the National Assembly over pre-election matters.

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They include former Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, Napoleon Bali, Dachung Bagos, Beni Lar, Isaac Kwalu and Peter Gyendeng.

The Court ruled that the PDP was wrong not to have obeyed subsisting orders from a High Court in Plateau that asked the party to conduct a new congress.

The removal of the lawmakers has led to protests by their supporters.

Don’t undermine the Court — Gagdi

Mr Gagdi said the PDP is trying to undermine the integrity of the Court of Appeal with the campaign against Mrs Dongban-Mensem.

“The PDP and its hired hands in Plateau State must desist from casting aspersion on the person and Office of the President of the Court of Appeal as any effort to throw mud at her will be stoutly resisted by all well-meaning Nigerians.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the President of the Court of Appeal is not a member of the panel handling the appeals from Plateau State and there is nowhere it can be imagined that she lobbied their justices to give the sound verdicts that have been given on the appeals before them,” he said.

He added that the APC is optimistic that the court will also sack Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

“For the PDP in Plateau to now act surprised at its fate and desperately look for whom to blame for their woes is the height of hypocrisy, and a disgrace to decency and due process.

“While we rejoice with utmost decorum, and relish our victory at the Appeal Court, and anticipate a possible victory at the Supreme Court for our gubernatorial candidate, we want to categorically remind the PDP and its hirelings that Nigerian Courts are courts of law, not courts of sentiments and emotions,” he said.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, last week, reserved judgment in the appeal by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State, Nentawe Goshwe, challenging the victory of Mr Mutfwang.