Appeal Court verdict: interfaith group calls NJC to focus attention on panels handling Plateau petitions

By Daniel Agada, Jos

Worried by what they term as conflicting and contradictory judgments recently delivered in respect to National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, the Christians and Muslims Interfaith Group have pleaded with National Judicial Council (NJC) of Nigeria to focus special attention on panels handling Plateau petitions.

The interfaith group which is a nongovernmental and non tribal entity said they were compelled to speak over unhealthy and dangerous development which if not tackle may spell doom, as the ground upon which Appeal Court delivered Judgment on Plateau petitions is peculiar to other states.

Recall the Appellate Court nullified the elections of Senate minority leader, Senator Simon Mwadkon representing Plateau North senatorial district, member representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, Musa Agah Avia on the basis of non qualification and ordered for rerun election after 90 days.

The Appeal court again nullified the election of member representing Mikang/Shendam/Qua’an-Pan in the National Assembly, Isaac Kwallu and ordered electoral umpire (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return from him and issue it to APC candidate.

Dissatisfied with the decision, leaders of interfaith group Evangelist Joshua Ringsum and Imam Othman Abdullaahi, raised alarm over the weekend in Jos the state capital, while speaking to reporters, said the issues pertaining nomination and sponsorship of candidates have been firmly established by the supreme Court.

“We are at a loss that the Appeal panels for Plateau petitions seem to heeding the plea of some interests and desperate politicians seeking the removal of Plateau elected members by whatever means. This is more so that the two judgments contradicts the previous ones delivered by the same Court of Appeal on petition involving other states.

“On Friday 20th October, 2023, in the case of Tarfaya Asarya of the APC challenging the nomination, qualification and sponsorship of the PDP candidate, Dr.Midala Balami and also challenging the disobedience of the supreme court order by PDP in Borno state; The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja led by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme held that under section 285(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Tribunal had a special jurisdiction to only determine whether anyone was validly elected.

“Justice Chioma said that the scope of the jurisdiction conferred on the Tribunal by the constitution cannot be expanded to include the determination of the validity of the conduct of primary election or nomination of candidates by political parties. The Appeal Court further held that the appropriate place to challenge the nomination, sponsorship or qualification of a candidate, including the disobedience of court order by a political party, is the Federal High Court, not the Tribunal or Appeal Court or any other Court.

“Justice Chioma affirmed the judgment of the Tribunal in Borno that said the issue of nomination, sponsorship and qualification of candidates, including disobedience to Court orders are pre election matters that can only be challenge at the Federal High Court.This and other decisions from the supreme Court on nomination and sponsorship of candidates as preelection matter must also come to bear.

“Why is it that the decision involving Plateau petitions different”? The interfaith group asked.

In some of it’s prayers, the group called on desperate politicians to give peace a chance on the Plateau.

“We are calling on Appeal Court and the Judiciary to desist from employing technicalities and twisted judicial logic to upturn the popular decisions taken by the Plateau state in general elections.

“We are calling on the Appeal Court and the Judiciary to stop the sacking of persons popularly elected during the last elections in Plateau state

“We are calling on the Court of Appeal and the Judiciary to as a matter of concerned not to drag us into another conflict on the Plateau as well as calling on Plateau people to remain law abiding and not to take the law into their hands”.