Energy dissipated on litigation unnecessary – Mutfwang

It’s a temporary setback – APC

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – The Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos has affirmed the election of Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as Governor of Plateau State and dismissed the petition filed by Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Goshwe had challenged the election of Mutfwang claiming that the governor was not validly nominated and sponsored by his Party (PDP), that PDP has no structure to sponsor any candidate for the governorship election and that the election of Mutfwang was not conducted in compliance with the electoral act and Mutfwang did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.

However in an unanimous judgment on Friday, the 3-man panel comprising of Hon. Justice. R. Irele- Ifijeh Chairman, Hon. Justice. Sunday Olorundahunsi Member 1, Hon. Justice A.Y.

Joh Member 2, dismissed the Petition for lacking in merit.

Counsel to Mutfwang, Akinlolu Kehinde SAN reacted thus: “The judgement was delivered on three basic grounds. The first is the petitioner questioning the nomination of my client, but the tribunal decided that it is not in the place of the petitioner to question issues of another political party, that means the petitioner has no locus to challenge the nomination of the governor.

“The judgement also held that the issue of nomination of party candidate is a pre-election matter, and the tribunal declined jurisdiction to look at such. The second issue has to do with non-compliance of the electoral Act, the tribunal discovered that out of the 247 polling unit results that were being contested for by the petitioner, they fielded witnesses from only 24 polling units, and that is just 9.2%. The tribunal found out also that the few witnesses of the petitioner gave a hearsay evidences, or their evidences were grossly damaged under cross-examination, and so the tribunal could not rely on those evidences.

“The third ground of petition was that Governor Mutfwang did not score the majority of the lawful votes cast during the election. Again, the tribunal resolved that against the petitioner. Because the law is that if you are challenging the result of election declared by INEC, you must bring another result, but no other result was tendered by the petitioner before the tribunal. So, in all, all the three issues canvassed, raised, and urged before the tribunal ended against the petitioner. So you can say it is a match that ended 3-0 in favor of the governor.”

Kehinde SAN added, “I feel happy and fulfilled because the law has been established and re-established by the tribunal”.

Also, counsel to the petitioner, Edward Pwajok SAN, who said his client would appeal the judgment of the tribunal, declared that it would be taken to the next level, where they hope to get justice and expressed happiness that no cost was awarded against his client.

However, Mutfwang in his reaction noted, “I want to thank God for the judges that sat in this tribunal for giving them the heart to be honest and do justice in accordance with the law. Justice is not rocket science, when it is done, the people feel it. The State capital ruptures in joy, and people are in the state of ecstasy.

I call on my friend who were the petitioners, that it is time for us to unite and move the State forward. The energy dissipated on litigation is unnecessary especially when it is clear that the people have spoken.

“I urge them disrespect the wishes of the people of Plateau, let them come let us work together, I believe they have their contribution to make, let’s not allow ourselves to be influenced by external forces. I want to say thank you to God, thank you to Plateau people.”

Meanwhile, the State Publicity Secretary, of the APC, Sylvanus Namang called for calm as he stated, “Though the Tribunal judgment did not turn out in our favour, as true democrats, we still believe and have strong faith in the judiciary. We urge our members and supporters never to lose hope as this is just the first leg of the processes of a three- leg process.

“Today’s judgment by the Tribunal is therefore, a temporary setback which we believe we shall emerge victorious in the long run… While we call on our members and supporters to remain calm and ever hopeful, we want to thank them for their patience and the maturity they exhibited throughout the period the Tribunal sitting lasted.”