The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Caleb Muftwang as the Governor of Plateau State.
The apex court dismissed the petition filed by Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress, APC, against Muftwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The ruling solidifies the victory of Muftwang, who secured 525,299 votes according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 18 governorship poll, defeating Yilwatda, who garnered 481,370 votes.
The Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had initially upheld Muftwang’s election, but the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the victory, leading to the appeal to the Supreme Court.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Akomaya Agim, emphasised that the sponsorship of a candidate for an election is an internal affair of a political party.
The justice declared that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to determine the validity of the candidacy of the PDP, adding that Nentawe Yilwatda of the APC had no right to challenge Muftwang’s emergence as the holder of the PDP ticket.
