The Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has vehemently disassociated himself and his administration from a baseless statement circulating in the media. The statement, attributed to an unidentified group posing as a Civil Society Organization and suspected to be aligned with the opposition, falsely accused Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, the President of the Court of Appeal, of receiving a 2.8 billion Naira bribe from political figures including Rotimi Amaechi, Yari, El-Rufai, and a House of Representatives member. These allegations are linked to the recent Appeal Court judgment that nullified two PDP National Assembly seats from Plateau.
Governor Mutfwang, in a press statement issued through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, categorically denied any involvement in the issuance of the said statement. He emphasized that neither he nor any authorized representative has made any statements in response to the Appeal Court’s judgment, and the PDP has not engaged any Civil Society Organization to comment on the matter.
The governor expressed concern over the false accusations, labeling them as mere fabrications intended to tarnish his image and create confusion among the people of Plateau State. He cited previous incidents where malicious press statements were used to sow discord during the early days of his administration.
Governor Mutfwang, a renowned lawyer with more than three decades of practice, strongly upholds the rule of law and the sanctity of the judiciary. He reiterated his commitment to the principles of justice and integrity, particularly when it concerns the President of the Court of Appeal, who hails from Plateau State.
In light of these developments, the governor called upon the Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and apprehend those responsible for the false allegations. He reaffirmed his dedication to upholding the dignity of constituted authorities responsible for the administration of justice and leadership within the country and beyond.
Governor Mutfwang urged all relevant authorities and the public to dismiss the misleading article as the work of mischief-makers with an agenda to smear his reputation and that of the Plateau PDP. The governor is resolute in his commitment to serving the people of Plateau State and ensuring the rule of law prevails.
A public affairs analyst, Marcel Ngogbehei, has accused opposition politicians of turning Nigeria's political parties into personal vehicles for their presidential ambitions, alleging that they routinely take over existing party structures, sideline founding members and abandon the platforms when their electoral calculations fail.
He made the allegations in a statement on Saturday, while reacting to a recent Abuja High Court judgment sacking the African Democratic Congress, ADC, leadership under former Senate President, David Mark.
DAILY POST reports that the ADC has already appealed the judgment.
Reacting, Ngogbehei said Nigeria must move away from a political culture in which established parties are taken over by powerful politicians, leaving their original members struggling for control of the organisations they helped establish.
He cited the political journeys of former Vice-President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as examples of what he described as the instability and opportunism characterising opposition politics.
"He maintained that the ADC crisis was particularly instructive, given that the party was adopted by opposition heavyweights seeking to challenge the APC, only to become engulfed in leadership disputes and litigation over the legitimacy of its leadership structure."
He argued that, unlike opposition party leaders, President Bola Tinubu's political experience demonstrated a commitment to building enduring political structures.
He recalled Tinubu's role in the development of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Action Congress, AC, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and, the formation of the APC.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Saturday accused the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar of listening to ill-advice from voodoo economists to restore the fuel subsidy.
Speaking during President Bola Tinubu's presidential campaign in the Ikwerre area of Rivers State, Shettima said the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has gone into political irrelevance.
The vice president also disclosed that some political charlatans from the opposition are trying to demonise the president.
According to Shettima: "Winston Churchill, the onetime British Prime Minister, once said truth is so precious that it has to be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies; hence, it's not only amazing but to define as heartbreaking that political charlatans on the other side of the divide are making efforts to demonise President Tinubu instead of celebrating him.
"Atiku Abubakar, with a certificate in hygiene from a Kano School, is intellectually malnourished and was ill-advised by some voodoo economist to restore fuel subsidy, and my friend, Peter Obi, has gone into political irrelevance."
Shettima also described the president as a decent man, stressing that Nigeria's economy has witnessed a significant improvement since he assumed office.
"I dare say without any fear that Tinubu is a decent man. When he attained the mantle of leadership some three and a half years ago, our economy was on the verge of collapse; we were on our way to Kinshasa. Instead of kicking the ball down the road, instead of demonising his predecessor, the president had the moral courage and conviction to take the bull by the horns," he added.