In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has upheld Caleb Muftwang‘s position as the Governor of Plateau State, dismissing the petition filed by Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the results declared by INEC, Governor Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 525,299 votes to beat the APC candidate who garnered 481,370 votes during the 18 March governorship poll in Plateau State.
The Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had initially upheld Muftwang’s election, but the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the victory, leading to the appeal to the Supreme Court.
Justice Akomaya Agim, delivering the lead judgment, emphasized that the sponsorship of a candidate for an election is an internal affair of a political party.
His words: “We have held in a plethora of cases that the sponsorship of candidate for election is an internal affair of a political party.
“The court of appeal lacks the jurisdiction to determine the validity of the candidacy of the PDP.
”Mr Yilwatda of the APC has no right to challenge the emergence of Governor Mutfwang as a ticket-holder of the PDP.”
