Why Supreme Court should dismiss Mutfwang’s appeal – Yilwatda

The Plateau State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s allegation of lack of fair hearing by the Court of Appeal, emphasising that the court had done justice to the case between him and the governor.

The Court of Appeal had late last year sacked Governor Mutfwang on the ground that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacked the structure to sponsor a candidate in an election, and subsequently, declared Yilwatda as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.

Daily Trust reports that Governor Mutfwang in his brief at the Supreme Court raised issues of lack of fair hearing against the Court of Appeal for sacking him as the governor of the state.

But Yilwatda, through his counsel, Prof. Kayode Olatoke, in his response on the grounds of appeal by Mutfwang, billed for adoption before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, said the Appeal Court gave fair hearing to all parties and was right to sack the governor.

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He argued that his contention was about the “qualification/sponsorship,” of Mutfwang, and urged the Supreme Court to so hold that the PDP lacked the capacity to sponsor any candidate to contest the 2023 general election.

The APC candidate further told the apex court that it’s several other judgements had ruled that the issue of, “qualification of a candidate is both a pre-election and post-election matter which both the high courts and the relevant election tribunals have jurisdiction to hear and determine.”

He therefore urged the Supreme Court, to dismiss the appeal in order not to set a precedence of violating court orders, praying the apex court to resolve all issues in his favour, and to uphold the judgement of the Court of Appeal.