Politics

Senate Minority Leader condemns judgements sacking Plateau PDP’s lawmakers

The Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Simon Mwadkwon, has described the tribunal judgements nullifying the election of some National Assembly members in Plateau State as strange.

Mwadkwon, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator for Plateau North Senatorial District, in a statement on Friday, September 15, 2023, expressed confidence that the Appeal Court will not let any judgement that was in clear contrast to the Supreme Court pronouncements stand.

The senator, however, called on PDP supporters in Plateau State to remain calm, adding that “those presently rejoicing inside their house of lies will face the reality of their self-deceit when the Appeal Court takes the right decisions on the tribunal judgements.”

He said the Supreme Court judgement on the PDP suit on the nomination of President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the 2023 presidential election, Kashim Shettima, was clear enough as to who has rights to challenge the nomination of political party candidates.

He said the Supreme Court has stated that no political party can challenge the nomination of another political party, noting that it was wrong for the tribunal to nullify the election of elected National Assembly members on the ground that they were invalidly nominated due to no party structure in the state.

The Senate Minority Leader added: “Even assuming but not conceding that the PDP had not structure in Plateau State as at the time the candidates were nominated, is it the state party structure that nominates candidates or the National?

“Was the national body of PDP that is legally empowered to nominate candidates for elections not the one that conducted the primary elections that produced our candidates? Or is it the duty of any other organ of a political party to conduct primary elections apart from the national body of the party?

“However, in the case of the PDP in Plateau State, the party duly complied with the judgment of Justice S.P. Gang and held a repeat congress in September 2021. This congress was dutifully monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.

“Consequently, the congress was affirmed by the Federal High Court’s judgment delivered by Justice D. V. Agishi in the case of Augustine Timkuk versus PDP. Furthermore, the judgement was unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Jos in favour of the PDP in a ruling by Justice T. Y. Hassan, Justice I. A. Andenyangtso and Justice O. O. Goodluck, delivered on 11 February 2023.

“One now wonders where the tribunal got its ground of no party structure on which it nullified the elections of our duly elected National Assembly members.

“This is also considering the fact that one of the two panels of National and State House of Elections Tribunal headed by Justice Williams Olamide, in its own judgements, dismissed the ground on which the panel headed by Justice Mohammed Tukur, nullified elections of our party members.

“From whichever way one chooses to look at the judgements, they clearly stand logic and legal precedents on the head and will surely be nullified by the Appeal Court.

“Therefore, our people should remain calm, with assurance that those they willingly elected will serve their terms and deliver their electoral promises.”

The Star