Appeal Court Removes Plateau Governor
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has removed the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, following a challenge by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nentawe Goshwe.
Mutfwang, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured 525,299 votes in the March 18 governorship election, while Goshwe claimed 481,370 votes.
Goshwe contested Mutfwang’s victory, alleging invalid nomination and lack of compliance with the Electoral Act. The tribunal, led by Justice R. Irele-Ifijeh, unanimously dismissed the petition for lacking merit. Dissatisfied, Goshwe appealed the decision.
The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ruled on Sunday that Mutfwang was not validly sponsored by the PDP, citing a violation of a court order mandating a valid congress in the state’s 17 local government areas.
The court noted the significance of compliance with a High Court order regarding party congress before candidate sponsorship.
Highlighting that qualification is both a pre- and post-election matter, contrary to the tribunal’s stance, the court stressed a party’s exclusive right, under Section 134 of the Electoral Act, to sponsor candidates meeting requirements.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to retrieve Mutfwang’s Certificate of Return and issue a fresh one to Goshwe.
In a related development, the court affirmed the removal of PDP’s Rimvjat Nanbol, representing Langtang Central State Constituency.
Daniel Listic of the Labour Party was declared the winner by the tribunal in September.
Justice Okon Abang emphasized the tribunal’s jurisdiction over a political party’s internal affairs, particularly non-qualification and sponsorship issues, stressing the importance of complying with court orders in elections.
