Court sacks PDP’s Mutfwang as Plateau
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another court defeat as the Court of Appeal, on Sunday, nullified the election of Mutfwang Caleb as governor of Plateau State.
The court said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should install the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Nentawe Goshwe, in his stead.
Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu and his two other colleagues ruled that the PDP’s failure to comply with previous court orders in connection to its ward congress, held prior, meant that Muftwang, who emerged from the process, was wrongly sponsored by his party for the election.
The panel, specifically, said that the PDP conducted ward congress elections in five local government areas out of 22.
The appellate court overruled the state election petitions tribunal, which in its own ruling, dismissed APC’s Goshwe’s petition for being a pre-election matter. Contrary, the appeal court said a court could adjudicate on both pre-election and post-election matters.
TheCornet reports that the Court of Appeal in another dispute nullified the election of the governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.
He is of the major opposition, PDP. During the week, the PDP said it was outraged by the streak of unfavourable judgements against it.
Abubakar Atiku, who ran unsuccessfully against President Bola Tinubu, accused the ruling party of deliberately pushing Nigeria towards one-party state.
Like the PDP, the New Nigerian People’s Party also lost to the APC at the appellate court.
In a shock ruling the court, last week, removed Governor Abba Yussuf while declaring APC’s Nasir Ganuwa as the actual winner of the poll.
The NNPP impugned the justices for the ruling, calling it a “robbery” and vowing to reclaim its “stolen mandate.”
