The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State has upturned the election of Hon. Moses Sule, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the member representing Mikang constituency in the State House of Assembly and returned Na’anlong Daniel of the All Progressives Congress, APC as the winner of the election.
The Tribunal in its verdict held that Hon. Sule was not validly nominated for the March 18, 2023 election by his Party, the PDP as the Party had no structure at the time of the election in disobedience to Justice S P Gang’s Judgment delivered on November 26, 2020 hence all the votes scored by the PDP in that election are wasted votes.
Consequently, the Tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return from Hon. Sule and issue a new one to Hon. Daniel. The judgment was delivered by Hon. Justice Mohammed Tukur and his team.
Meanwhile, the State Chapter of the PDP has written a petition against Justice Tukur, Justice Omeka Elekwa and Justice O Adetujoye for what the Party terms as “deliberate perversion of justice and conspiracy against the PDP and its candidates.”
John Akans, the State Publicity Secretary of the Party who disclosed the development said, “As a Party that respects and defends the integrity of the judiciary, our commitment in upholding, defending the dignity of the judiciary is unshakable in line with the confidence we have in the system. As a law-abiding Party that believes in the rule of law, we have today successfully submitted our judicial petition to the Chief Justice of the Federation and Chairman National Judicial Council. Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola GCON, against the above Judges.
“This petition is in defence of the judicial integrity which involves -Making judicial decisions that will show the court’s commitment to lawfulness and justice. The court is supposed to act so as not to appear to have compromised or be associated with rascality. The sanctity of the judiciary is sacrosanct and must be protected.”
However, Sylvanus Namang, the State APC Publicity Secretary commended the three judges for “resounding verdicts,” as the Party stressed, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau State Chapter wishes to commend the Justice B.M. Tukur-led National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal including learned Justices Omaka Elekwa and A. O. Adetujoye, over its resounding verdicts since it began its judgments on the petitions before it.
“For the National Assembly petitions, the Tribunal has declared APC candidates: H.E. Simon Bako Lalong as the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District; Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase and Hon. Vincent Bulus as members representing Wase and Langtang North/South Federal Constituencies respectively.
“In its verdicts for the State Assembly petitions, the same Tribunal has also declared the following APC candidates as winners: Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda for Pengana constituency; Hon. Eli Bako Ankala for Rukuba/Irigwe constituency; Hon. Sylvester Wallangko for Bokkos constituency; Hon. Nanbol Gomam for Langtang North-Central constituency; Hon. Mark Naah for Jos North-West constituency and Hon. Dachung Moses for Riyom constituency.
“One of the sweetest victories is the declaration of the Tribunal sacking Hon. Moses Sule the PDP candidate and Speaker of the PLHA and declaring Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil of the APC as Hon. Member for Mikang State constituency. So far, so good, the victories of the APC at the Tribunal signal a good omen for the Party, for it has greatly recovered lost grounds with every likelihood of taking over the State.”
