The Court of Appeal in Abuja has opted to defer its judgment on the appeal filed by Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Plateau State governorship election, against Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Mutfwang had been declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing 525,299 votes against Goshwe’s 481,370.

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Goshwe contested Mutfwang’s victory, alleging that the governor was not validly nominated by the PDP and that the party lacked the structure to sponsor a candidate.

He also claimed that the election did not comply with the Electoral Act and that Mutfwang did not win the majority of lawful votes.

However, a tribunal panel unanimously dismissed Goshwe’s petition for lacking merit. Unyielding, the APC candidate appealed the tribunal’s decision, urging the appellate court to declare him the winner based on the governor’s alleged lack of qualification and invalid sponsorship.

Lead counsel to the appellants, Prof. Goke Olagoke (SAN), argued that Governor Mutfwang was not qualified to contest the election due to a lack of valid sponsorship by the PDP.

Olagoke cited various court judgments, urging the court to set aside the tribunal’s decision and declare Goshwe as the winner.

In response, the governor’s legal team, led by Mr. Godwin Kanu Agabi (SAN), filed a motion urging the court to strike out some grounds of the appeal for incompetence.

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Agabi emphasized that the issues raised by the petitioner pertained to the internal affairs of a political party, beyond the court’s jurisdiction.

The three-member panel, headed by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, reserved judgment, with the date of communication to the parties yet to be announced.