Appeal Court sacks Plateau governor

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Sunday sacked the governor of Plateau state, Caleb Mutfwang.

The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, held that Mutfwang was not validly nominated and sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to participate in 18 March the gubernatorial election.

The appellate court held that all the votes that were credited to him and the PDP after the election amounted to wasted votes.

Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu-led panel ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC), to withdraw the Certificate of Return that it earlier issued to Mutfwang of the PDP as winner of the governorship poll.

It ordered that the candidate that got the second majority lawful votes at the election, should be sworn in as governor of the state.

The appeal was lodged against governor Muftwang’s election by the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, (APC), in the state, Mr. Nentawe Goshwe.

INEC had declared that Mutfwang of the PDP won the gubernatorial contest with a total of 525,299 votes, ahead of the APC candidate, Goshwe, who polled 481,370 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Goshwe, went before the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge it.

He, contended among others that the PDP lacked a political structure in the states and was therefore incapable of validly nominating or sponsoring any candidate for the governorship poll.

He also argued that the election of Mutfwang was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act, insisting that he did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.