The Supreme Court confirmed Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election victory for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday.
In its lead judgement, Justice Emmanuel Agim overturned the Court of Appeal decision that removed Mutfwang of the PDP from office.
According to INEC’s result, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 525,299 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Nentawe Yilwatda, who received 481,370 votes in Plateau State’s governorship election on March 18.
The Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Jos, the state capital, affirmed the governor’s election.
However, the Abuja Court of Appeal rejected the Mr Mutfwang Tribunal’s victory, prompting his appeal at the Supreme Court.
According to the APC, the appellant was not qualified to run in the election. The APC said Governor Mutfwang’s candidature and election were illegitimate due to noncompliance with electoral laws.
The Court of Appeal ruled that Governor Mutfwang’s primary election to become the PDP’s candidate, as well as his subsequent nomination to INEC, were invalid. The Court said he was unqualified to be Governor of Plateau State.
The Appeal Court had based its judgement to fire the governor on the alleged inability of the PDP to comply with an order of the Plateau State High Court to conduct fresh congresses before holding primary elections of its candidates for the 2023 general elections.
However, the Apex Court knocked Mr Yilwatda and its party, APC, declaring that they have no right to challenge Governor Mutfwang’s election as a PDP gubernatorial ticket holder.
However, the Supreme Court justice said that the High Court’s order had nothing to do with the party’s ability to conduct PDP primaries or designate Governor Mutfwang as its governorship candidate.
According to the judgement:
“We have held in a plethora of cases that the sponsorship of candidate for election is an internal affair of a political party.
“The court of appeal lacks the jurisdiction to determine the validity of the candidacy of the PDP,” Justice Agim affirms.
Also, all judges agreed with the lead judgement, knocking both APC and its Candidates.
cc: Premium Times Ng
