The All Progressives Congress in Plateau state has rejected the judgment of the Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal, which on Friday affirmed Caleb Mutfwang as the duly elected governor of Plateau State.
In a statement on Friday shortly after the judgment, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Sylvanus Namang, said the party had instructed its team of lawyers to appeal the judgment describing it as a temporary setback.
It partly read, “Though the tribunal judgment did not turn out in our favour, as true democrats, we still believe and have strong faith in the judiciary. We are, through our very capable team of lawyers, just as they have already indicated, going to test the strength and veracity of today’s judgment at the Appeal Court, and we believe we shall emerge victorious given the severity of the loopholes contained therein.”
Meanwhile, the three-member panel of the tribunal, led by Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi, dismissed the petition filed by the APC and its governorship candidate, Nentawe Yiltwatda, delivered the judgment on Friday morning.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mutwang of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the March 18 governorship election with 525,299 votes defeating 17 other candidates, including Yiltwatda, who polled 481,370 votes.
Yiltwatda and his party had approached the tribunal to disqualify Mutfwang and declare him the winner of the election, while claiming to have polled the highest valid votes cast.
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