‘I wasn’t given fair hearing’ — Mutfwang asks s’court to quash judgment sacking him

Manasseh Mutfwang , governor of Plateau, says he was not given a fair hearing at the court of appeal before his election was nullified. 

On March 20, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Mutfwang as the winner of the governorship election in Plateau, having scored 525,299 votes, while  Nentawe Yilwatda, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), got 481,370 votes.

Not satisfied with the results, Yilwatda and his party filed a petition challenging the outcome of the election at the tribunal.

But the petition was thrown out by the tribunal.

However, in November, a three-member panel of the court of appeal led by Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu held that Mutfwang was not validly sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the election.

Mutfwang then filed an appeal before the apex court.

At the hearing session on Tuesday, Mutfwang said the dismissal of the seven issues he raised at the court of appeal was against the directive of the supreme court that intermediate courts should pronounce on all issues placed before it.

“Eight issues were distilled and placed before the court below for determination. Unfortunately, only one issue (of jurisdiction) was determined by the court below leaving untouched seven issues,” he said.

“This court has stated in quite a number of cases that intermediate courts should pronounce on all issues placed before it. It should not restrict it to one or more issues which its opinion may dispose of the matter.

“This is to give the apex court the benefit of their views in the matter should there be need to consider other issues not determined by the intermediate court.

“It is our further submission that having denied fair hearing to the appellant, with respect to the notice of preliminary objection as well as a motion to strike out the incompetent grounds of appeal, the decision of the lower court to dismiss same is, with all due respect manifestly flawed.”

He prayed the court to overturn the judgment of the court below and affirm his election as the governor of Plateau.