$5m judges’ bribes: Ousted Plateau Gov. keeps mum over ‘probe’
Owing to his sacking by the Court of Appeal on Sunday, Plateau Governor Muftwang Caleb, might halt his investigation into the alleged bribery of judges. The governor had announced Friday that he would probe the allegation that the Court of Appeal judges received $5 million in bribes to nullify his election.
He said, “I wish to strongly condemn the baseless and defamatory allegations circulated by certain individuals, accusing judges of receiving a $5 million bribe for the nullification of my victory.
“I have demanded for thorough investigations by security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible for the libelious publication.
“There is a need to ensure that that these individuals face the full consequences of the law with a view to setting a precedent that discourages similar misconduct.”
It is however uncertain whether the governor, who is likely to appeal his ouster, will go ahead with the probe. TheCornet reported that the judges nullified Muftwang’s election, saying that his party – the Peoples Democratic Party– disobeyed previous court orders on the conduct of ward congresses in the state.
Read our earlier story below:
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another court defeat as the Court of Appeal, on Sunday, nullified the election of Mutfwang Caleb as governor of Plateau State.
The court said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should install the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Nentawe Goshwe, in his stead.
Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu and his two other colleagues ruled that the PDP’s failure to comply with previous court orders in connection to its ward congress, held prior, meant that Muftwang, who emerged from the process, was wrongly sponsored by his party for the election.
The panel, specifically, said that the PDP conducted ward congress elections in five local government areas out of 22.
The appellate court overruled the state election petitions tribunal, which in its own ruling, dismissed APC’s Goshwe’s petition for being a pre-election matter. Contrary, the appeal court said a court could adjudicate on both pre-election and post-election matters.
TheCornet reports that the Court of Appeal in another dispute nullified the election of the governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.
He is of the major opposition, PDP. During the week, the PDP said it was outraged by the streak of unfavourable judgements against it.
Abubakar Atiku, who ran unsuccessfully against President Bola Tinubu, accused the ruling party of deliberately pushing Nigeria towards one-party state.
Like the PDP, the New Nigerian People’s Party also lost to the APC at the appellate court.
In a shock ruling the court, last week, removed Governor Abba Yussuf while declaring APC’s Nasir Ganuwa as the actual winner of the poll.
The NNPP impugned the justices for the ruling, calling it a “robbery” and vowing to reclaim its “stolen mandate.”
