By Moses Okorie
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has warned the Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan, to immediately swear in seven lawmakers elected under the platform of the party, and accused Governor Caleb Mutfwang of undermining democracy in the state.
This was made known by the party in a statement issued on Thursday by its national publicity secretary of, Mr. Felix Morka, saying the governor and the speaker coerced and illegally procured APC lawmakers to sign post-dated resignation letters as a pre-condition for their inauguration as members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The statement reads: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to disturbing and unlawful acts of the Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency Caleb Muftwang, and the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan, in relation to APC members of the House of Assembly ordered by the Court of Appeal to be inaugurated as members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
“Nine lawmakers that succumbed to the intimidation and coercion, and signed the demanded post-dated resignation letters and verifying affidavits were inaugurated by the Speaker as members of the House of Assembly on April 5, 2024. Seven members-elect that refused to submit to this illegality were denied inauguration by the Speaker.
“We condemn this 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 wondered 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 the land.