Tribunal Affirms Mutfwang’s Election as Plateau Governor 

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos has affirmed the election of Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected governor of the state, dismissing the petition filed by Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda and his All Progressives Congress (APC) as “a wild goose chase.”

Delivering the judgement yesterday, a three-man tribunal led by Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi unanimously affirmed Mutfwang’s election, noting that despite the wild allegations by petitioners, there was no evidence to show that the election was not lawfully held as petitioners failed to tender another result to contest the one declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The tribunal also said that the PDP has a valid structure in the state, noting that the APC has admitted in its petition that the PDP repeated its congress. Justice Olorundahunsi said that “what is admitted needs no further proof the APC has admitted in its petition that the PDP repeated its congress.” 

The tribunal is of the view that the PDP conducted a repeat congress in 2021, and therefore has a solid structure. It however held that it (the tribunal) lacks jurisdiction to entertain the petitioners’ challenge of the repeated congresses by the PDP as they (petitioners) are busybodies and meddlesome interlopers as they do not have business with PDP congress.

“No matter how dissatisfied another party feels on the conduct of another party’s primaries, it must keep mum as it is not a member of that party. Such a person (party) therefore, lacks the locus standi to challenge such a congress or primary election,” the tribunal ruled.

Justice Olorundahunsi also observed that there were so many errors and inconsistencies by the petitioners’ expert witness under cross-examination that “even a Primary 6 pupil would do better in his basic arithmetic”, and such errors and inconsistencies are signals for the tribunal to take the evidence of the witness with a pinch of salt and to treat him with caution.

He said, “The petitioners also presented a witness who admitted she was a polling unit agent, but admitted under cross-examination in the case of Jos North that the signature on the polling unit result is not hers. The evidence is thereby expunged by the tribunal.”

The tribunal ruled that it had no basis to nullify the election, seeing that the petition “is a wild goose chase and is bound to fail. The petition is hereby dismissed.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mutwang of the PDP the winner of the March 18 governorship election with 525,299 beating 17 other candidates including Yiltwatda who polled 481,370.

But Yiltwatda and APC approached the tribunal to challenge the declaration of Mutfwang by INEC alleging that Mutfwang was not qualified to contest having not been validly nominated and sponsored by his party (PDP) as the party had no structure as at the time of the said election.