The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit at Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau state for allegedly forcing 16 of its members in the state House of Assembly to sign post-dated resignation letters as a blackmail tool to buy their utmost loyalty.
APC national publicity secretary, Mr Felix Morka, in a statement, claimed that the Governor had to coerce and illegally procure the consent of 9 of the lawmakers as a pre-condition for their inauguration as members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
APC’s position came against the backdrop of a Court of Appeal decision that directed the Governor to formally inaugurate the lawmakers as members of the Plateau state House of Assembly.
APC claimed that 9 of the 16 lawmakers who succumbed to the alleged blackmail, intimidation, and coercion, were inaugurated by the Speaker as members of the House of Assembly on April 5, 2024, while members-elect who refused to submit to the illegality were denied inauguration by the Speaker.
APC condemned what it termed the brazen act of Governor Muftwang and Speaker as utterly outrageous, anti-democratic, illegal, and a vile contempt of the binding judgement of the Court of Appeal that ordered the inauguration of all 16 APC members-elect as members of the House of Assembly.
The party thereby called on the Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly to unconditionally swear in the remaining seven APC lawmakers without further delay in keeping with the Judgment of the Court of Appeal.
It noted: “We wonder why Governor Muftwang and Speaker Dewan are unwilling and seemingly terrified to comply with a valid judgment of the Court of Appeal but would rather resort to illegal and underhand tactics to intimidate, blackmail and cajole members to sign post-dated resignation letters in violation of the laws of our land.
“The continued refusal of the Speaker to inaugurate the remaining seven APC members who have stoutly refused to submit to this illegality has become a clear and present threat to the peace and stability of Plateau state.
“Constituents of yet to be inaugurated members are becoming increasingly restive and may resort to peacefully protesting the unlawful refusal to inaugurate their own elected representatives.
“This is avoidable and must be avoided. The good people of Plateau state deserve to live in peace and security. Governor Muftwang bears a solemn duty to govern fairly, maintaining peace and security, upholding the law, and doing justice to all, irrespective of political differences.”
