Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu following his recent victory at the Supreme Court.
The governor expressed appreciation for President Tinubu’s refusal to bow to pressure aimed at influencing the apex court’s judgment.
The governor also revealed that discussions with the President included both political and legal strategies to rectify the perceived injustice faced by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers from the state, who were ousted by the appeal court over pre-election issues.
Addressing reporters, Governor Mutfwang said, “I came to see the President purposely to say a very big thank you to Mr. President for keeping democracy alive in Nigeria.
“As you all know, I went through a very protracted legal battle, and I’ve said it openly, and I am repeating that the Nigerian president is powerful.
“And if he does not exercise restraint in the exercise of his powers, he can intrude into the judicial arena, and the judiciary will not be allowed to perform its function.
“In my case and several others, I’m sure, we can attest to the fact that Mr. President allowed the judiciary to perform its functions as it should, thereby guaranteeing its independence.
“I, therefore, must come to thank him for exercising that restraint because those who wanted to pervert justice also brought tremendous pressure on him to see how he could interfere, but I must say that Mr President choosing not to interfere is a credit to his statesmanship; it is a credit to his credentials as a sound democrat, and this is the only way we can ensure that our institutions mature to the point where they can guarantee not only the survival of democracy but also ensure that institutions should be able to survive, develop, and outlive individuals.
“And this is why I came principally to thank the President. And of course, you know Mr President will not meet me and will not ask about the security situation on the Plateau. And I also gave them an update.
“Things are relatively calm at the moment. The security agencies are in pursuit of the perpetrators of this dastardly act that we experienced during the Christmas period, and we’re doing our best together with the federal government and international donor partners to be able to mitigate the pain of those families who lost their loved ones and also those who are internally displaced.
“So we’re doing our best, and we’re also ensuring that we step up our security surveillance to prevent further occurrences of this kind of needless bloodshed.”
On what is the way forward for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers that were sacked at the Appeal Court, he said different options were being explored, adding that the Plateau matter will enrich the jurisprudence of the country.
He said, “Yes, I think this is an ongoing discussion, and I can’t tell you anything now, because we are looking at all the possible solutions, both legally, politically, and otherwise, to ensure that my interest is to have a peaceful state in which I can focus on development and governance. And therefore, we want to ensure that we reduce all areas of friction as much as we can.
“I want to particularly thank Nigerians for the interest they have shown in the Plateau situation. We do not take it for granted. And I believe that out of the plateau situation, our jurisprudence will be enriched and that justice will find sure footing in Nigeria in the future.”
