Appeal Court Sacks Mutfwang, Declares APC’s Goshwe as Plateau Governor
By Idris Umar
The Appeal Court in Abuja has sacked the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang.
In her ruling on Sunday, the lead Justice, Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Goshwe.
The Plateau State Election Petitions Tribunal had dismissed the petition of the APC and affirmed the election of Governor Mutfwang.
According to the Appeal Court, the decision of the Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the APC and its candidate on the ground that the duo had no business meddling in the affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was wrong.
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The Appeal Court held that Mutfwang’s nomination by the PDP was in breach of Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Section 134 (C) of the Electoral Act.
The court also held that contrary to the decision of the Tribunal that the issues contained in the petition filed by the appellants were pre-election matters, they were both pre-election and post-election matters and could not have been deemed status barred.
Citing section 177 of the Constitution, the panel ruled that Mutfwang was not validly sponsored by the PDP during the election.
It held that the party violated the court order that a valid congress be conducted in the 17 local government areas of the state, by conducting congress in only five LGAs.
While dismissing the decision of Tribunal, the court held that the issue of qualification is both a pre-election and a post-election matter.
