From Yakubu Busari,Jos
The National and State Assembly lawmakers sacked by the election tribunal and Appeal Court have concluded plans for national protest to Nigeria Judicial Commission ,NJC , to demand for their reinstated with immediate effect .
The Senatorial Candidate of Plateau Central, Amb. Yohana Gulkona Gotom said he was prepared to lead the Lawmakers towards reclaiming their stolen mandate should their appeal for redress fails.
He said, “we are going to ensure that the mandate of Plateau people is restored back to them because democracy is not won on the basis of technicality of law but what the law as enshrined in our Constitution .
Gotom made a passionate appeal to NJC to set up Committee to address, “the injustice meted on poor, vulnerable voters in the aftermath of the Friday, January 12, 2024 judgment of Supreme Court which confirmed that the PDP in Plateau State had solid structure for participating in the 2023 general election.
According to him, “I am not a lawyer but I understand the principle of law as adduced by the judgment of the Supreme Court where the position is very clear that no political party has the right to interfere in the affairs of another party.”
He explained further that both the Appeal Court and the Election Petition Tribunal gave judgment in favour of APC on the questionable basis of lack of on structure and disobedience to High Court judgement that PDP failed to organize primary but the Supreme Court declared that both courts lack locus standing to entertain the suit .
“The Supreme Court went further to declare that the issue of structure is not valid because it is a pre-election matter which the national working committee of the party is saddle with the responsibility to conduct congresses.”
Recall that as a result of the concurrent judgement, PDP lost two elected senators, six Representatives and 16 House of Assembly members who election were voided. The Supreme Court on Friday described the judgements as perverse.
Gotom congratulated Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for emerging victorious in the supreme Court judgement, adding of the pending issue was not resolved legally, the PDP Legislators would have to mobilize to Abuja .
He explained that they’re going protest to NJC headquarters demanding for their right, concluding the “we have confidence in the judiciary to deliver judgment on the issue.”
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sent petitions to the National Judicial Council NJC) and Federal Judicial Service Commission over its members in the Senate, House of Representatives, and Plateau State House of Assembly sacked by the Court of Appeal last year.
Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN delivered the petition on their behalf on Monday.
