Group asks Appeal Court President To Disown Connections With Plateau Lawmaker

A pro-democracy group, Peace and Good Governance Advocates (PEGGA), has called on the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to firmly rebuff the insinuations raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strong connections in the judiciary.

The group in a statement, on Tuesday, said the bold assertion of Gagdi that has now gone viral gave the impression that the judiciary has been pocketed by the APC in Plateau.

Gagdi, a lawmaker representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, had in a video now viral been quoted at an APC rally as saying that the PDP could go to the Appeal Court or Supreme Court and that the two parties will show their connections.

 “They have gone to Appeal Court and the final destination is the Supreme Court and we will meet there. That is where we will know who they know and they will know who we know,” Gagdi said to resounding applause of his APC audience.

Responding to the development, PEGGA in a statement issued by its national coordinator, Mani Imman tasked the President of the Court of Appeal to prove herself and the appellate court as being beyond the schemes of the APC on the plateau.

“Your Lordship, Gagdi has given the impression that he and the APC can buy judgment through connections with those they know. They are openly flaunting that in Plateau that they are having their way.

“We are indeed concerned for you and your reputation especially given the negative publicity that has recently been trailing your person over the contradictory judgments on the plateau.”

“We as such call on you to prove yourself above the tantrums thrown by Gagdi by ensuring that justice is served on the plateau. In particular we ask you to look into the issue of why pre-election issues that the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court said should not be subject of election arbitration are being used against Plateau PDP.”

Concluding, the group tasked the President of the Court of Appeal not to allow her reputation to be soiled by the egoistic schemes of politicians determined to derail the peace on the plateau and her ancestral land.