From Yakubu Busari,Jos
The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Jos, Plateau State, has declared Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong winner of the Plateau South senatorial district.
Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Mahmoud Tukur, who declared the judgement on Monday, stated that the votes scored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Napoleon Bali in the February 25 election were wasted.
The judge held that the PDP candidate was invalidly nominated, declaring Lalong, the immediate past governor of the state, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the poll.
According to the judges, “as of the time of the nomination, the PDP had no valid structure in the state.”
The tribunal jurists described the votes scored by Napoleon Bali as wasted votes which can’t stand because PDP didn’t have a valid structure to nominate a candidate .
The panel also ruled that candidates who petitioned the court on the ground of over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral laws could not prove the allegations.
In another judgement, the court also sacked the PDP member representing the Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency and declared the Labour Party (LP) candidate Dalyop Chollom winner.
The tribunal ruled that Peter Gyandeng of the PDP was not validly nominated at the time of his nomination due to his party’s lack of a valid structure in the state.
The judgment had left tension and confusion amongst political pundits in the state were expressing diverse opinion on the development.
The petitioners alluded and predicted his petition on three grounds of sktructure ,alleged over voting and non compliance to electoral act .
The election into the two hallow chamber of the Riyom/Barkin Ladi and Plateau South Senatorial District conducted on the 25th Day of February, 2023 was described as the most peaceful exercise in the history of elections in Nigeria politics .
The earlier judgment by Honourable Justice William Rotimi Olamide dismissed the following petitions of Chris Giwa of APC ,Gyang Zi of LP ,all of whom were challenging the declaration of Minority leader Sen.Simon Mwadkon of the PDP.
The Hon Musa Agah Avia of defeated Adamu Abubakar Alkali of PRP ,Hon Ibrahim Baba-Hassan of APC for Jos North /Bassa Federal constituency at the tribunal knocked them on ground 1 of no structure saying that all their pleadings are pre-election matter which they should approach the Federal High Court before embarking on wild goose chase .
The tribunal stated that they’re interlopers and busy bodies whom are concern with what is happening in another person house .
The judgment carefully distance itself from any pre-election matter which they petitioners sought the order of the tribunal to consider the votes cast .
While declaring Dalyop Fom Chollom of the Labour Party as the winner of Riyom /B/Ladi Federal constituency, the Judge said that that Gyangdeng Peter of the PDP was not qualified to participate in the 25th February general elections in Riyom,Barkin Ladi.
