JUST IN: Tribunal Sacks Three PDP Lawmakers, Declares LP, APC Candidates Winner (DETAILS)
The National and State Assembly Tribunal convened in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, has removed three legislators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The affected lawmakers are Remvyat Nanbol, Agbalak Adukuchill, and Happiness Akawu, who respectively represented the constituencies of Langtang Central, Rukuba/Iregwe, and Pengana in the State House of Assembly.
This judgement was delivered on the eve of the decision regarding the gubernatorial election that took place on March 18 in the state. Dr. Nentawe Yiltwatda, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election, is challenging the victory of Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who ran under the PDP.
While Mutfwang was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with 525,299 votes, surpassing Yiltwatda’s 481,370 votes, the APC candidate chose to take the matter to court.
In Thursday’s ruling, the tribunal affirmed Daniel Ninbol Listic of the Labour Party (LP), Bako Ankala, and Yakubu Sanda of the APC, who all placed second in the election, as the rightful victors.
In delivering the judgement, Justice Muhammad Tukur, heading the panel, stated that the dismissed lawmakers were not officially endorsed by the PDP due to their failure to comply with a court order mandating the conduct of ward congresses, which would have established a valid structure.
He further stated that the PDP lacked the necessary organizational structure, and as a result, could not sponsor candidates for an election. The tribunal clarified that the petitioners had legal standing to contest the participation or inclusion of the PDP in the election.
The tribunal’s chair instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revoke the Certificates of Return from the dismissed lawmakers and issue new ones to the election’s rightful winners.
