Plateau Tribunal upheld election of Hon. Nannim Joseph for Langtang North state constituency, dismissed APC petition against Paul
By Daniel Agada, Jos
The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Jos, has on Thursday affirmed the victory of Member Representing Langtang North State constituency of Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon.Nannim Joseph Langyi
Honourable Justice,Emmanuel Nwazunku in his judgment said the petitioners failed to discharge the burden of prove of over voting alleged in the petition filed by Hon.Nimchak Abel Nansak of the All Progressives Congress, APC, challenging the election of Hon. Nannim Joseph Langyi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in an election held on the 18th Day of March,2023 general elections.
The petitioners petition is predicated on issues of non compliance to the electoral act 2022, alleging that the 3rd respondent (PDP) doesn’t have structure on ground to sponsored and nominate the 2nd respondent (Nannim Joseph)to contest for an election in Plateau State.
The Tribunal confirmed that PDP has solid structure in Plateau State after the Congress held on the 25th September, 2021, at Langfield Leisure Park Rayfield, Jos South Local Government Council of the State, and that the petitioners is neither member of the 3rd respondent to challenge the nomination and sponsorship of the second respondent .
However, the trial Tribunal dismissed the petitioners petition filed for lacking in merit,noting, “it is a waste of the Tribunal precious time.”
Judgment also harped on the petitioners locus standi to challenge the nomination and sponsorship of the 2nd respondent because the petitioners have never been a card carrying member,neither do they participated in the primaries of the 3rd respondent.
Our correspondent learned that, so many documents related to the petitioners were struck out for incompetent and didn’t add probative value to the Tribunal .
According to the judgment ,” INEC monitored the conduct of the repeated Congresses held by the 3rd respondent in compliance to series of judgments of Hon.Justice Ishaya Kunda ,Hon .Justice S.P.Gang and Justice Arum Ashoms of State High Court respectively.
“The petitioners petition is not satisfactorily proved as required by law.I hereby dismissed the petition for lacking in merit and affirmed the return of the 2nd respondent Hon.Nannim Joseph Langyi of PDP as duly elected member representing Langtang North Constituency in the Plateau 10th Assembly.”
In a similar circumstance, Hon.Justice Williams Rotimi Olamide, affirmed the election of Hon.Paul Datugum of PDP for Qua’an-Pan North State Constituency of Plateau State House of Assembly, held on 18th March, 2023, after dismissing the petition filed by Mr.Dakogot Karyat of the APC.
