by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
Wednesday morning saw People’s Democratic Party’s Women Wings and their women supporters come out enmass, wearing blacks in Jos, to protest and demand justice over the Court of Appeal’s ruling that has sacked their National Assembly Members in the recent judgment, demanding that their ‘stolen mandate’ should be returned to them.
Those, who came out for the protest, include former Minister of Water Resources, Hon. Sarah Ochepe. While speaking to newsmen, the minister said, “The case of Plateau has really caused a serious concern, as similar cases – like that of Lagos and other states – the same Court of Appeal had ruled by saying ‘It’s a pre-election matter.’ In fact, in one of the cases, there was a disobedience of Supreme Court order, but the Court of Appeal in her wisdom said ‘it’s a pre-election matter,’ and the law is clear on that.
“But, surprisingly, when it comes to Plateau it will become both ‘pre-election’ and ‘post-election, matter. So, what are they telling us, or, is Plateau State not in Nigeria?” she queried.
Hon. Ochepe lamented that, “The whole thing is so disheartening that, it’s causing serious tension in the state, as the mandate of the people is being stolen by the Court of Appeal – which is not supposed to be.”
“Judiciary is supposed to be the hope of the common man. Where the common man has hope is now becoming something else,” she said, and called on relevant authorities and those, who want to steal power through the back-door, to have a rethink, because Plateau people voted for who they want, and don’t want a leader that will be imposed on them.
“If that is done, it’s against the will of the people,” she noted, and assured of their support for Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
She urged the court and the judiciary as a whole to do justice, not injustice, as is being done to the elected leaders of the state.
Speaking also was the PDP Women Leader of Plateau State, Mrs Martina Dakur, who explained that, “PDP did their repeated congress on 25th September, 2021, and the same Bitrus Kaze participated and lost, and he also congratulated the State Chairman, Hon Chris Hassan. So, the issue of ‘no structure’ – where is it coming from?”
According to her, “The case of PDP and APC is a pre-election matter. The Supreme Court has ruled on that several times; even in the case of the Vice President, what the Appeal Court is doing is trying to set the state ablaze or, into another crisis.”
She stressed that, that is the reason why they, as women, came out to say “enough is enough;” Plateau people should not be taken for granted, and the state should not be a testing ground for crisis, as they are enjoying relative peace.
While noting that, they do not want another political outburst to happen, she added that, “And we don’t want to lose our children or our husbands over some few persons’ selfish interests that want to tear the state apart, as power comes from God, not through the back-door as the APC are trying to do using the Appeal Court.
“They should win at the polls, not through the back; the people of Plateau State overwhelmingly voted for PDP and their wish should be respected,” Mrs Martina Dakur stated.
Also, the representative of Muslim women, Hajiya Sa’adatu Hwatai, said they as Muslims have never gotten it this good, as what Governor Mutfwang is doing by empowering women and road construction.
According to her, the state is enjoying relative peace as his administration carried everybody along, so much development and youths’ empowerment. According to her, “Our children are enjoying scholarships both home and abroad.”
She said all they want in government is what Governor Caleb Mutfwang is doing. The dividends of democracy is what they are seeing, not what APC did in the last 8 years, and called on the Court of Appeal to stop stealing their mandate and to stop portraying the state in bad light, as their judgments of stealing people’s mandate is causing serious tension in the state, which may lead to crisis which they don’t want to experience.
She called on the APC to win election at the poll, not at the court through the back-door as the will of the people should be respected, and equally urged the conscience of the Court of Appeal judges and all those behind the recent happenings in the state to stop, as God is watching them and they should remember there is Judgement after death.
In their protest march, the women were chanting, “Plateau is not for sale,” “The judges should fear God and know that there is God who watches over us, and he is the Greatest Judge, and to know that ‘what shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?’”
The protesting women came out in their numbers, from all parts of the 17 local governments of the state, to show their displeasure over the recent happenings in the judiciary that is supposed to be “the hope for common man.”