The Court of Appeal in Abuja, yesterday, sacked the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang.
The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, held that Mutfwang was not validly nominated and sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to participate in the March 18 gubernatorial election.
The appellate court held that all votes credited to him and the PDP after the election amounted to a waste.
The Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu-led panel ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return it issued Mutfwang as winner of the governorship poll.
It also ordered that the candidate that had the second majority lawful votes should be sworn in as governor.
The case followed an appeal against Muftwang’s election by the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.
INEC had declared that Mutfwang won the gubernatorial contest with 525,299 votes, ahead of Goshwe, who polled 481,370 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Goshwe had approached the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. He contended, among others, that the PDP lacked a political structure in the state and was, therefore, incapable of validly nominating or sponsoring any candidate for the poll.
He also argued that the election of Mutfwang was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act, insisting that the PDP candidate did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.
Mutfwang had, earlier, appealed to people of the state to remain calm in the face of the oncoming ruling.
