Supreme Court Reserves Judgment For Lagos Governorship War, Adjourns Hearing For Plateau Tussle

By Ranti Thomas

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal involving Lagos state governorship March 18 governorship elections, just as it also adjourned hearing for Plateau State governorship tussle.

A five-member panel of justices led by Inyang Okoro on Tuesday reserved judgment after taking the arguments of lawyers in the matter.

The Lagos State appeals were filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Bode Rhodes-Vivour, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Abdulazeez Adediran challenging the victory of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

For the Plateau appeal, the apex court adjourned the hearing earlier fixed for Tuesday to January 9, to enable services of processes on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on November 19 upturned the verdict of the election tribunal by nullifying Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election.

The three-member panel, in a unanimous decision, had held that Mutfwang was not validly sponsored by the PDP as provided by Section 285(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.

Meanwhile, the Plateau State government has raised an alarm over an alleged attempt by the state chapter of the APC to deploy media propaganda as the state awaits the decision of the Supreme Court on the gubernatorial election.

A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashom in Jos yesterday alleged that the main opposition party in the state was already sponsoring negative media publicity against Gov Caleb Mutfwang-administration to sway the course of justice.

“This allegation is groundless propaganda, lacking credibility. For the record, no such meeting transpired,” he said.

However, state Publicity Secretary of APC, Sylvanus Namang while reacting to the allegation advised the state government to allow freedom of the press to prevail in the state.

“The state government should not make any attempt to gag the press or resist freedom of speech in the state”, he said.

Source: Daily Trust