The National and State Houses Assembly Plateau State Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the High Court Complex, Jos, on Monday, July 31, 2023, in suit number EPT/PL/SHA/04/2023 between Abel Nimchak, 1st petitioner, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2nd petitioners against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 1st Respondent, Nimnan Joseph Langyi, 2nd Respondent, and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) 3rd Respondent's Witness (RW1) has defended his mandate, insisting that the 3rd respondent has Complied with the Court Order.

It would be recalled that after the declaration of the March 18, 2023, Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly Elections by the 1st Respondent, the 1st Petitioner and his party, APC, approached the tribunal to challenge the declaration of the 2nd respondent winner and duly elected, while the grudge of the 1st Petitioner was basically on the qualifications of the party to sponsor a candidate and also on the ground of over-voting in some polling units in the Constituency.

While leading the examination in chief, Counsel for the 2nd and 3rd respondent, Chief G.M. Kuttu SAN applied and showed a myriad of exhibits to Hon. Joseph Langyi, RW1, which he identified and further asserted that the PDP has Complied with Court orders, noting that Exhibits 1R4, 1R5, and 1R6 have adequately stated that the party has done the needful in terms of complying with court injunctions and further maintaining that the repeated Congress of the party on September 15, 2021, was monitored by the 1st Respondent INEC, and the report was in exhibit 1R2.

Counsel for the Petitioner, S.S. Obende, in company with his learned colleague MS Salihu, asked whether the matter in supreme court was dismissed as well as whether the second respondent was a party in the Ward and Local Government congresses, which the RW1 answered in the negative.

It's paramount to note that the Petitioner has tendered a quantum of documents as well as presented witnesses, amongst whom are Nimmyel Nankpak, a subpoena witness whose deposition was signed on July 18, 2023, and has referred to several court judgments and other court processes challenging the leadership structure of the party in Plateau State, which were rescinded during cross-examination by counsel for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondents.

With the deposition of the 2nd respondent in the suit, the Petitioners arguing their case, and the respondent defending their mandate, the tribunal has adjourned to August 25, 2023, for the adoption of written addresses by counsels.