The Plateau Local Government Elections Tribunal on Saturday, dismissed the petition filed by the PDP, challenging the victory of the APC in Langtang-North Local Government Area.
Mr Ubandoma Joshua-Laven, PDP Chairmanship candidate had challenged the declaration of APC candidate, Mr Kparnim Nanloh-Amos, by Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), as winner of Oct. 10, 2018 LG polls in the state.
Justice Jovita Binjin, Chairman of the Tribunal, in a six-hour judgment, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
“Election matters at tribunals are determined by documentary evidences. But in this case, the petitioner only provided documents for only 26 polling units out of the 110 Polling units leaving out 84, which are huge.
“Those documents are not enough to support the petitioner’s claimed that he pulled the majority votes to be declared the winner of the Oct. 10, 2018 LG polls.
“More over the petitioner did not demand for discrediting of the entire elections having failed to meet section 196 of the electoral Act 2014, which says elections must duly follow the law, but he only asked that he should be declared winner having pulled the lawful majority votes cast.
“The petitioners, therefore, having failed to prove his claims in the petition filed on Oct. 31, 2018, we hereby hold that the petition lack merit and it is therefore dismissed, ’’ Binjin declared.
The news agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Joshua-Laven’s petition, like the other 30 petitions, was on Jan. 4, struck out by the tribunal for want of jurisdiction, but his appeal at the Appeal Tribunal, kept it alive.
The appeal tribunal had on Jan. 27, 2019 ordered Binjin’s led tribunal to hear the petition on its merit.
NAN reports that Joshua-Laven, had through his counsel, Mr Samson Bukar, prayed the tribunal to nullify PLASIEC declaration of the APC candidate, Nanloh-Amos and declare him winner of the polls having pulled the lawful majority votes cast.
But Nanloh-Amos, through his counsel, Mr Zurfa Rimven, challenged the petition, which he claimed lacked merit and should be dismissed forthwith.
Shortly after the judgement, Joshua-Laven told newsmen that he wasn’t satisfied with the judgment of the tribunal and would appeal against it.
“I am satisfied with the tribunal’s judgment. I want to assured here today that I will definitely appeal the against it at the appellate court, ’’ he declared.
Also speaking, Nanloh-Amos, described the judgement as “very apt’’ and “sound’’
According to him, “I will never loose sleep over the threat of the PDP candidate to appeal against the judgement. This because I sure he will loose again and again.’’
NAN reports that the tribunal rounded up its sitting with the judgment.
