The court of appeal sitting in Abuja has sacked Mutfwang Manasseh of the Peoples Democratic Party, as governor of Plateau state.
A three-member panel of the court led by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu while delivering judgment on Sunday, held that Manasseh was not validly sponsored by the PDP, for the election, as provided by Section 285(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The panel held that the appeal brought by Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress succeeded as the issue of qualification was both a pre and post-election matter under Section 177(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 and Sections 80 and 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The panel agreed with Goshwe that the failure of the PDP to comply with the order of the Plateau State High Court in Jos, in suit no: PLD/J304/2020 between Bitrus B. Kaze & 11 ors vs the Peoples Democratic Party & 24 ors directing it to conduct valid ward, local governments and state congresses before nominating its candidates for the various elective positions and the Court of Appeal order in CA/J1/93/2021 was a breach of the law.
However, the panel set aside the judgement of the Governorship Election Petition, for being “highly inconsistent and breach of fair hearing by relying on expunged witnesses’ statements to refuse Goshwe’s appeal”.
It however ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Muftwang and issue a fresh one to Goshwe.
More to come…
