Appeal Court Declares Lalong Winner, As Plateau South Senatorial District

By Odiawa Ai

The Appeal Court in Abuja has invalidated the participation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its senatorial candidate in the February 25 National Assembly Election, Napoleon Bali, for Plateau South Senatorial District, on ground of refusal to complete legal court request.

Conveying judgment, a three-member panel led by Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu pronounced as unlawful and squandered votes cast for PDP in the election and declared the previous Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, as the Senator for the Plateau South Senatorial District.

Lalong, who stood for the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had come second in the February Senatorial political race.

Justice Williams-Dawodu held that the PDP and its candidate have no legitimate ground to partake in the election having neglected to comply with the judgment of a Plateau High Court that the party ought to lead legal elections to have officials for Wards, Local Governments and State Council.

The Plateau High Court had in 2022 arranged PDP to carry out elections for selection of officials for Wards, Local Governments and the State Chapter of the party which was not followed.

The Court of Appeal said that rebellion and dismissal to get legitimate request free from court was lethal on the grounds that PDP quickly set up an unlawful guardian caretaker committee in unadulterated showdown to the court judgment.

Particularly, the re-appraising court held that PDP supported no possibility for the Plateau South Senatorial District since it was not able to represent any political raceas at February 25, 2023.

The Court of Appeal thusly maintained the declaration of Lalong as the legal Senator for Plateau South Senatorial District having scored second most elevated votes at the political race.

Different Judges of the Court of Appeal who concurred with the judgment are Mohammed Mustapha and Okon Abang.

Lalong, who is the immediate past Legislative Representative of Plateau State, is at present the Minister of Labour in the President Bola Tinubu's administration.