The Governors’ Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is optimistic that the Supreme Court will ensure justice in the cases involving the removal of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State by the appellate court.

During a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the PDP governors characterized the recent rulings by the appellate court, which led to the removal of two of their colleagues, as “temporary setbacks.” The gathering, hosted at the Abuja residence of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, saw the participation of six other governors, with some being represented by their deputies.

In a communique issued at the end of their deliberations, the opposition governors said, “The meeting reviewed the recent judgments of the Court of Appeal concerning Governors of various States and noted the mixed outcomes.

“As a Forum, we once again re-state our overall confidence in the judiciary to do justice.

“We believe that the Supreme Court will do justice in the cases where we recorded temporary setbacks like Zamfara and Plateau States.”

Regarding the off-season elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states, the PDP governors expressed their endorsement of INEC’s decision to investigate allegations of pre-filled result sheets before the commencement of elections in certain areas. This move aims to instill confidence in the electoral process among the people.

In the recent week, the appellate court overturned the victories of three governors declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 2023 polls. Notably, all three ousted governors belonged to opposition parties, leading to concerns about the perceived influence of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the judiciary. However, the APC has denied these allegations.

The court ruled against Abba Yusuf, the governor of Kano State from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), and declared Nasir Gawuna of the APC as the winner. In Zamfara, the appellate court nullified the election of PDP’s Lawal, deeming the poll inconclusive after about eight months. The court directed INEC to conduct a fresh election in three local government areas of the state, with Lawal and APC’s Bello Matawalle as the main contenders.

In a separate case on Sunday, the appellate court removed PDP’s Mutfwang and instructed INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to APC’s Nentawe Goshwe. The court ruled that the party had violated a court order mandating a valid congress in all 17 local government areas of the state.

However, the appellate court upheld the victories of APC governors, including Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Lagos State, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, and Bassey Otu of Cross River State.