Tribunal Sacks 3 Plateau PDP Lawmakers On Eve Of Gov’ship Verdict
The National and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, has sacked three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers.
Those sacked are Remvyat Nanbol, Agbalak Adukuchill and Happiness Akawu, representing Langtang Central, Rukuba/Iregwe and Pengana constituencies in the state House of Assembly.
The judgment was given on the eve of the ruling on the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Dr. Nentawe Yiltwatda, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election, is challenging the victory of Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who contested on the platform of the PDP.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mutfwang, the winner of the poll after polling 525,299 votes beating Yiltwatda, who polled 481,370 votes, but the APC candidate went to court.
In yesterday’s ruling, the tribunal declared Daniel Ninbol Listic of the Labour Party (LP), Bako Ankala and Yakubu Sanda of the APC who all came second in the election as winners.
Delivering judgement, the panel led by Justice Muhammad Tukur ruled that the sacked lawmakers were not legally sponsored by the PDP because the party refused to obey a court order to conduct ward congresses that would enable it to have valid structures.
He added that the PDP lacked structures and therefore could not have sponsored candidates for an election. The tribunal further explained that the petitioners had the locus standi to challenge the participation or inclusion of PDP in the election.
The chairman of the tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw Certificates of Return from the sacked lawmakers and issue new ones to the winners of the election.
The tribunal has sacked four PDP National Assembly members, including a senator, over party structure.
