Reacting to the recent Court of Appeal's decision to sack Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, the Presidency has squarely blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the governor's downfall, pointing fingers at the party's failure to adhere to legal processes.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, minced no words as he asserted that the PDP's decision to employ an illegal caretaker committee for primaries in Plateau State, despite a standing court order, was the root cause of the electoral setback.
"The PDP should take full responsibility for this avoidable electoral setback," Onanuga noted.
"Their blatant disregard for the law and their failure to learn from past mistakes have cost them dearly."
Onanuga went on to draw comparisons between Governor Mutfwang's ouster and the All Progressives Congress (APC) loss of Zamfara State in 2019 due to similar irregularities.
"In 2019, the APC lost all elected positions in Zamfara State because of illegal primaries," Onanuga recalled.
"The PDP, instead of learning from this experience, chose to repeat the same mistakes, resulting in the nullification of Governor Mutfwang’s election."
The Special Adviser also addressed the nullification of the election of Kano governor, Abba Yusuf, stating that non-compliance with electoral laws and the constitution played a significant role.
"Those blaming the judiciary and being emotional about the ruling should face reality. Yusuf was sacked based on the law. I believe we all want our country to be guided by the rule of law," Onanuga added