The Appeal Court, sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, upheld Barrister Simon Bako Lalong, the former governor of Plateau State and Minister of Labour and Employment, as senator representing Plateau South senatorial districts.
Lalong ran for office on the All Progressive Congress (APC) platform.
However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Napoleon Bali’s plea was dismissed by the Appeal court due to its lack of validity.
Former governor Lalong was declared the winner of the election on February 25 by the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, citing the PDP’s invalid structure.
The court held that the party disobeyed court order to conduct congresses at the word, LGA and state levels, sine 2021, and therefore was not qualified to sponsor candidates in an election
The Appeal court panel led by Justice
E.O Williams-Daeoud, held that the tribunal was right to declare the APC candidate as winner of the election, adding that the appeal court had made it’s findings and had found that the whole exercise of the congresses by PDP was a nullity.
The chairman of the panel said there were previous rulings that PDP should conduct congresses but the PDP had refused to obey court orders, emphasizing that all court orders were supposed to be obeyed by all.
“Plateau has 17 LGAs that should be used for all issues but 12 LGAs were excluded in PDP congress. Can the elected excos to be said to be a valid Exco?”
“The tribunal cannot say that PDP conducted a repeat Congress. Napoleon is not qualified to be sponsored by PDP to run in that election. All votes by napoleon are void and wasted votes,” the court ruled.
Ada Peter
