Supreme Court reserves judgment in Plateau guber poll

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved judgment in Plateau Gov. Caleb Mutfwang’s appeal, seeking to affirm his election which was nullified by the Court of Appeal in November last year.

At the hearing of the appeal on Tuesday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Okoro, had listened to arguments from lawyers to the parties in the case.

After listening to arguments from Mr. Mutfwang’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) and Mr. Yilwatda’s counsel, Mr J.O Olatoke, the Supreme Court said a date for judgment would be communicated to the parties before January 16.

Persecondnews recalls that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had in November 2023 nullified the election of Gov. Mutfwang of Plateau State, following an appeal by Dr Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwehe of the All Progressives Congress.

The three-member panel of justices led by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, unanimously ruled that Mutfwang was not validly nominated and sponsored by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the gubernatorial contest that took place on March 18, 2023.

The court held that the votes credited to Mutfwang and the PDP were considered wasted votes.

Justice Williams-Dawodu declared:“We order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Mutfwang and swear in the candidate with the second-highest lawful votes.”

Declaring the PDP candidate, Mutfwang, as the duly elected governor at the INEC collation centre in Jos, the State Returning Officer announced that the PDP candidate polled 525,299 votes to defeat his closest rival and the candidate of the ruling APC, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, who polled 481,370 votes.