APC knocks Plateau gov, speaker for refusing to swear in lawmakers

The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress on Wednesday warned Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Gabriel Dewan, to immediately swear in the 16 elected lawmakers of the APC or be prepared to face the consequences of ignoring a court verdict.

The ruling party said it is running out of patience and will no longer allow the governor and the Speaker to continue the unlawful act, which it claimed is at variance with the final ruling of the appeal court.

Addressing newsmen after the weekly meeting of the NWC, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South West), Isaac Kekemeke, said the party will ensure the enforcement of the decision of the Court of Appeal, being the last court for the election.

He said, “It is sad that the governor of Plateau who is enjoying his office by the constitution of this country in an election will want to deny 16 members of the fruit of their electoral work and to deny our party the success that they won for the people.  This is a disgrace to democracy and its unacceptable behaviour.

“The National Working Committee expresses its outrage and displeasure over this continued illegality and this unacceptable arbitrage by the Governor of Plateau State, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and by the PDP in Plateau State.”

Continuing, Kekemeke stated that the ruling party will no longer allow the ‘legislative rascality’ of the Speaker to go unchallenged, stressing with an air of finality that “enough is enough”.

He therefore called on the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspection General of Police and all other law enforcement agencies to enforce the final decision of the Court of Appeal, being the last court concerning this election.

He added, “The last court is the Court of Appeal that has spoken and spoken again and yet PDP, the governor of Plateau and the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly shamelessly continue to disobey the law of the land.

“The patience of the APC is running out. But because the APC is a peaceful party. It is calling on the law enforcement agencies to do the needful now and not tomorrow.”

In a similar development, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (North Central), Mu’azu Rijau, said that NWC has resolved to commence the electronic membership registration of the party in Minna, Niger State on March 19 immediately after the registration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shetimma in Villa in Abuja.

In December 2023, the Plateau State House of Assembly, warned the state chapter of the APC against causing any breach of the peace in the state, saying that the House is still on recess.

The 24-member assembly dominated by Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers had adjourned plenary till January.

However, three days later, the Court of Appeal sacked all the 16 PDP  lawmakers in the state and declared candidates of the All Progressives Congress winners of the elections conducted in their various constituencies.