The Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, has stressed the importance of creating viable governance institutions within the state. He emphasized that this approach is crucial to prevent resource influx and wastage.
Governor Mutfwang advocate the need for relevant and effective institutions to minimize waste which in turn can conserved energy to pursue set objectives.
The Governor made this known Monday as he declared open a five (5) day retreat and training for 25 staff of Plateau State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (MBEP), titled: “The green cap vision and the seven point policy thrust for inclusive budgetary engagement: The time is now for good governance on the Plateau.”
He said the Ministry of budget planning is very central to every ministry department and agencies (MDAs) of government.
“We need to streamline all the line of activities because I discovered that we have a lot of overlaps, a lot of duplication which are totally unnecessary and that itself affects a lot of budgeting process.
“A typical example I have a road been maintained by ministry of works, road been maintained by ministry of Urban development, road been maintained by direct labor agency. I have SUBEB building toilet and Agile program also building toilet. Every body wants to do everything.
“Governance is not about competition, is about collaboration. At any point in time when your trying to out do other MDAs then your not a team player.
“Budget and planning is a skills you must learn. Is not voodoo, rocket science or something that one can just pick by the street corner”, he stated.
While commending the commissioner and permanent of the ministry for setting the pace and training of personnel to keep in tune with the vision of current administration in the state, the Governor tasked participants to take advantage of the retreat to adopt with a global base practice.
Commissioner Plateau State ministry of budget and economic planning, Chrysanthus Dawam acknowledged the aimed of the training and retreat is to consolidates on knowledge gap demand in the ministry.
He said the expectation is to bring necessary impact for the economic development of Plateau.
Amongst the resource persons to sharpen knowledge of the participants on how to navigate and planning for effective economic development are; Dr. Uzuchukwu Amakun of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Mrs Yilritmwa Goyol, the coordinating officer Olive-Edge, Dr.Santos Larap and the host of others.
Recall a five day retreat and training is put together by the Plateau State Ministry of budget economic planning in collaboration with Olive-Edge.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, from its final list of governorship candidates for Gombe State ahead of the February 6, 2027 election.
Politics Nigeria reports that the commission released a list of 16 cleared candidates for the election, but Pantami’s name was missing despite his earlier inclusion in the provisional list published on August 29.
Among the candidates on the final list are Bala Bello Tinka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Others include Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party (LP), Lamela L. Silas of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Pantami’s exclusion comes amid a series of legal disputes over his emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state.
The former minister had initially sought the APC governorship ticket but left the party after it settled for Gwamna as its consensus candidate. He subsequently joined the PDP and emerged as the party’s flag bearer through voice affirmation at its governorship primary.
However, a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified his initial emergence on May 26, following a challenge to the primary process.
The court ordered a fresh primary election, which Pantami won on September 29 with 2,054 votes, defeating Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
Garry had challenged Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the required primary election was not properly conducted before the former minister was declared the party’s candidate.
Despite winning the court-ordered rerun, Pantami’s eligibility remained in doubt following the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing political party membership registers and candidate eligibility.
The Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
The provisions bar political parties from fielding candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted to INEC within the stipulated period.
INEC has maintained that parties found to have violated the requirements will not be permitted to participate in the elections through candidates whose nominations breach the law.
Mohammed Haruna, an INEC national commissioner in charge of information and voter education, said the commission would not allow parties to replace candidates affected by the provisions.
Haruna made the clarification during an appearance on Trust TV’s programme on Wednesday evening, explaining that allowing substitutions would enable political parties to benefit from their own violations.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan
He cited previous disputes involving Zamfara and Plateau states to illustrate the consequences of parties failing to comply with electoral requirements.
“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it,” Haruna said.
He added that allowing parties to substitute candidates in such circumstances would amount to permitting them to benefit from an offence they had committed.
Haruna also indicated that the commission expected to make a definite pronouncement on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment by the following Tuesday.