Plateau guber: S/Court reserves judgement on Gov Mutfwang’s appeal

The Supreme Court of Nigeria, Tuesday, reserved its judgement on appeal instituted by the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, challenging the nullification of his election by the Court of Appeal. A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, adjourned the appeal for judgement, after all the parties argued their case and adopted their processes. In his argument, Governor Mutfwang, through his counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, prayed the court dismiss the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which sacked him from office. Agabi, SAN, argued that after the tribunal properly evaluated both documentary and oral evidence that were adduced by the parties, dismissed as lacking in merit, the petition that was lodged against the outcome of the governorship election by candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC)Mr. Nentawe Goshwe. He further submitted that the onus of conducting a primary election to select candidates to be sponsored in an election, rests on the National Executive organ of the party. “A number of exhibits were tendered to prove that valid Congress was conducted and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. “A video was played before the tribunal showing that congresses held and the person that instituted the court action was see in the video, participating in the process.” Concluding, he posited that the sponsorship and nomination of a candidate in an election, being a pre-election issue, was of jurisdiction of both the tribunal and the appellate court. On his part, the APC candidate, through Prof. Joseph Olatoke, SAN, asked the court to uphold the Court of Appeal judgement that ordered the INEC to issue Certificate of Return. He insisted that his is the candidate that garnered the highest number of valid votes in the governorship poll. According to him, PDP’ is structureless in the state, as it refuses to elect its State Executives as ordered by the court, hence, not capable of presenting a valid candidate in the governorship election. In the same vern, counsel to the APC, Mr. Omosanya Popoola, asked the court to uphold the judgement that sacked the Appellant from office.

Case Against Tinubu: Atiku, Obi Know Fate On Thursday 

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its judgement on Thursday, in the cases of Peter Obi of Labour Party and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. The Petitioners are before the Apex Court challenging the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) in favour of Tinubu. In a Notice of Appeal predicated on 35 grounds, Atiku told the apex court that the tribunal in the judgment delivered by Justice Haruna Tsammani erred on the side of law and miscarriage of justice in its findings and conclusion in the petition. He maintained that the Tribunal erred in law when it failed to nullify the presidential election held on February 25, 2023, on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, when by the evidence before the tribunal, INEC conducted the election based on grave and gross misrepresentation contrary to the principles of the Electoral Act 2022, based on the “doctrine of legitimate expectation”. Obi on his part, wants the Apex Court to set aside the whole findings and conclusions of the Tribunal on the grounds that they did not represent the true picture of the grounds of his petition. Reacting, counsel to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents respectively, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for want of merit and for being frivolous. Specifically, Tinubu’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun SAN described Atiku’s appeal as abusive in nature and ask it to dismiss it. Tinubu urged the apex court to act in like manner of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), by not only dismissing the appeal for lacking in merit and bona fide, but affirm his victory.