A former presidential aide to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Publisher of Point Blank News, Mr. Jackson Ude, has mocked the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Caleb Mutfwang, after he was sacked by the Court of Appeal yesterday.
Mr. Ude regretted that he warned Governor Mutfwang of a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove him from office and declare the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, winner of the 2023 governorship elections.
According to Ude, the former Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, who is the current Minister for Labour, shared $5 million to Justice Dawoudu, Justice Akam and Justice Waziri of the Court of Appeal to sack Mutfwang as Governor.
Taking to his “X” (formerly Twitter) handle, @jacksonpbn, on November 17, 2023, Jackson Ude, in a post entitled “Appeal court judges receive $5million bribe money to sack Plateau Governor”, wrote:
“Former Governor Simon Lalong of plateau state and current Minister for Labour has shared $5million to Justice Dawoudu, Justice Akam and Justice Waziri to sack Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and declare the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, winner of the 2023 Governorship elections.
“Chief of staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu and Minister for Labour, Simon Lalong, met after the Lawyers Conference meeting in Abuja on Thursday and mandated Lalong to deliver the cash.
“Lalong immediately got into a private jet with Justice Waziri who is on the panel and flew to Lagos where the money was delivered to the Judges at the Marriott Hotel.
“The APC Government is bent on retaining plateau state,” he added.
However, instead of moving deftly upon the revelation, Mutfwang asked security operatives to conduct “thorough investigations… identify and apprehend those responsible for the libelous publication”.
Reacting sharply same day, Mutfwang, taking to his “X” handle, @CalebMutfwang, 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 thorough investigations by security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible for the libelous 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.”
Interestingly, as predicted by Jackson Ude, Governor Mutfwang was sacked by the appeal court sitting in Abuja.
TrackNews reported on November 19, that in her ruling on Sunday, the lead Justice, Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Goshwe.
The report stated that Justice Williams-Dawodu set aside the judgment of the Tribunal which affirmed the election of Governor Mutfwang, describing it as highly incompetent.
Reacting to the development, Jackson Ude told Muftwang that he is “brainless” for ‘thinking that he is doing the Judiciary a favor’.
