Gov Mutfwang runs to Supreme Court to save his seat, presents eight points for appeal

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State has pleaded with the Supreme Court to safeguard his election, insisting that the Court of Appeal was unfair to him in nullifying the election.

Mutfwang, stated this on Thursday while presenting to the Supreme Court the eight points he presented to the Court of Appeal to prove the validity of his election, of which only one was determined.

According to Mutfwang, the dismissal of the seven issues he raised by the Court of Appeal was against the directive of the Supreme Court that intermediate courts should pronounce on all issues placed before it

He pleaded with the Supreme Court to declare him as the validly elected governor of Plateau State.

Mutfwang, who made the submission in his brief at the Supreme Court by eight-man team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Kanu Agabi, said “the law is settled that wherever there is a wrong, there must be a remedy.”

The hearing of his brief by the Supreme Court comes up on Tuesday.

He said: “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.

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“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 a need to consider other issues not determined by the intermediate court.”

The governor insisted that since he was not given a fair hearing, the Supreme Court should dismiss the judgment of the Court of Appeal which invalidated his election.

“It is our further submission that having denied fair hearing to the Appellant, concerning 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”, Mutfwang’s brief stated.

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