- Nentawe had approached the Tribunal challenging the declaration of Mutfwang by INEC as Governor of Plateau State
- Nentawe had alleged that as at the time of the election Mutfwang was not qualified to contest having not been validly nominated and sponsored by his Party as the Party had no structure as at the time of the said election
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.
Nentawe had approached the Tribunal challenging the declaration of Mutfwang by INEC as Governor of Plateau State alleging that as at the time of the election 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.
However in its judgment on Friday, the Tribunal dismissed the Petition for lacking in merit.
Meanwhile, in what appeared to be a setback for the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, the National and State Assembly Tribunal sitting in Jos, has sacked three of its lawmakers.
Those sacked are House of Assembly members.
They include Remvyat Nanbol representing Langtang central, Agbalak Adukuchill, representing Rukuba/Irigwe and Happiness Akawu, who is representing Pengana constituencies in the assembly.
The tribunal declared Daniel Ninbol Listic of the Labour party (LP) as winner of Langtang central, Bako Ankala of APC for Rukuba/Irigwe and Yakubu Sanda of Pengana constituencies also of APC who all came second in the election.
The judgment was given on the eve of the ruling on the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Justice Muhammad Tukur, who delivered judgment, said that the trio were not legally sponsored by the PDP.
The tribunal held that the inability of PDP to conduct legal congress to elect party executive made it structureless and so cannot sponsor candidates for any elective position.
Tukur further said that the petitioners had the locus standi to challenge the participation or inclusion of PDP in the election.
He ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Certificates of Return given to the sacked lawmakers and issue new ones to the eventual winners of the election.
The tribunal had earlier sacked four PDP National Assembly members, including Senator Napoleon Bali of PDP, who was elected to represent Plateau South Senatorial district.
In his place, the tribunal declared former Governor Simon Lalong and Minister of Labour and Employment of APC as duly elected senator
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