In a significant development, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, the governorship candidate representing the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Plateau State, concluded his case on Friday at the State Election Petition Tribunal. The case was filed against Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Today, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to open its defence in the case filed by Dr Nentawe, marking the beginning of the first respondent’s response.
In a recent development, the candidate representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a bold step by challenging the victory of Mutfwang on three specific grounds. Firstly, the APC candidate argues that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the necessary structure to field a candidate for the governorship election. Secondly, it is alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act and guidelines during the election process. Lastly, the exclusion of 14 polling units from Naraguta B Ward in Jos North Local Government Area has also been raised as a point of contention. These three grounds form the basis of the APC candidate’s challenge to Mutfwang’s victory.
Yilwatda, the candidate representing the APC, has dedicated a span of three weeks to vigorously defending his petition in front of the state election tribunal.
In a recent development, Nentawe Yusuf, an expert witness hailing from the esteemed University of Jos (Unijos), took the stand and delivered a comprehensive report spanning approximately 200 pages. The report in question pertained to the highly significant 2023 governorship election in Plateau State. This pivotal testimony marked the conclusion of Yusuf’s case on Friday, leaving a lasting impact on the proceedings.
Yakubu Ruba, the lead counsel for the petitioner, made an application to present the documents for consideration, despite objections raised by the third respondent. Ruba acknowledged that the star witness had faced intense cross-examination from the first, second, and third respondents, namely INEC, Mutfwang, and PDP, respectively. This occurred after the witness had identified the documents presented to him by the petitioner’s lead counsel.