Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the House of Representatives, is facing severe criticism for his recent remarks concerning the Plateau gubernatorial dispute, as captured in a viral video addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters.
In the video, Gagdi stated, “We have gone to the appeal court, and the final destination is the Supreme Court, and we will meet there. That is where we will know whom they know, and they will know whom we know.” This statement came before the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified Mutfwang Manasseh’s position as the governor of Plateau State.
The three-member panel, led by Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ruled that Manasseh was not validly sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the election, leading to the revocation of his certificate of return and its issuance to Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC candidate.
In response, Manasseh regarded the court’s decision as a temporary setback and announced his intention to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeal also nullified the elections of PDP members in the Senate and the House of Representatives, including Peter Gyendeng, Musa Bagos, and Beni Lar, citing invalid nominations as the reason for their removal.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) strongly condemned Gagdi’s comments, urging the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, to establish a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the lawmaker’s “public boasting.” The PDP expressed concern that such remarks imply the influence of court judgments in election cases.
The party stated, “The conduct of the Plateau State Election Appeal Court Panel and the boastings of the APC is eroding the integrity, potency, and confidence of Nigerians in the time-tested saying that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. More worrisome is that the public claim by the APC that it has persons even at the Supreme Court has directly put the integrity and honour of the highest temple of Justice in our country at stake.”
The legislator is also facing backlash on social media, particularly on platform X, due to the controversial nature of his remarks.
