By Martha Nyam

Plateau state governor-elect, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has hailed the ruling of the governorship election petition tribunal sustaining his victory.

The tribunal sitting in Jos, dismissed the petition filed by Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) seeking the cancellation of Mutfwang’s election as governor.

Mutfwang in a statement on Friday, dedicated his victory to Plateau people who willingly entrusted him with their mandate during the polls.

He said the decision of the panel presided by Justice R. Irele-Ifijeh which dismissed the petition for lack of diligent prosecution showed how forthright and determined the tribunal was to dispense justice.

The governor-elect said that the petition which came up for pre-hearing, was abandoned as the petitioners and their counsels were not at the tribunal in spite of a hearing notice served on them.

Counsels to INEC and two other respondents however relied on paragraph 18 (1) (4) of the first schedule of the Electoral Act 2022 for the petition to be dismissed.

The judge in his ruling, dismissed the petition and ordered that the petitioner pays the sum of N1 million to each respondent.

NAN recalls that the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party’s petition challenged Mutfwang’s declaration as governor-elect by INEC after the conduct of the March, 18 governorship election in the state.