Daniel Dauda, Jos


A group known as Plateau PDP Youths online have disowned  16 candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who benefited from the Appeal  Court Judgment sometimes in December, 2023.

The group gave seven days ultimatum for the APC state Assembly beneficiaries of what they term " Appeal Court miscarriage of Justice" to toe the part of honour and voluntarily return the certificate issued to them by INEC and stop parading themselves as members elects.

They berated President Court of Appeal, Hon.Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem for acting a script written for her by the APC to arrive at a predetermined results against the PDP and it's candidates in Plateau.

Speaking to newsmen Thursday in Jos, in the aftermath of Supreme Court Judgment that reaffirmed the victory of Governor Caleb Mutfwang as the duly elected governor of Plateau in  the 18th March, 2023, general elections, chairman of the group Isa Musa Kwarshak alongside the publicity secretary, Friday Longtong called for the sanction of Appeal Court Judges involved in the Plateau state miscarriage of judgment.

"With the recent Supreme Court judgement, that reaffirmed the election of HE Governor Caleb Mutfwang as the duly elected Governor of Plateau State, we wish to call on all the beneficiaries of the perverse Judgment of Monica Dengbam in Plateau State to bury their thoughts of resuming as members of the Plateau State House of Assembly. The rightful winners of the Peoples mandate who are candidates of the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ), have been restored because all the issues  that led to their emergence  and the ground upon which they are holding onto the certificates as members elect have been thoroughly examined by the Supreme Court and dismissed. 

Hon.Justice Emmanuel Agim held that " the validity of nomination and sponsorship were not valid ground to void an election. The Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to entertain it". The issue of sponsorship had elapsed long ago, as the law stipulates that a person challenging the nomination or sponsorship of a candidate for an election must institute the legal action within 14 days from which such illegality was said to have been made."

Hon Justice Agim, stressed that the issue of primary was an internal affairs  of political parties which both the tribunal and Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction.

He also pointed out that contrary to the claim of the petitioners and the judgement of the appeallant Court the order of the Plateau State High Court was not disobeyed by the PDP as evidence showed that a fresh State Congress election was conducted on 25th September, 2021.

"It is evidently very clear that based on the judgement of the Apex Court the APC and LP candidates lacked the moral proprietary and electoral legitimacy to continue parading themselves as members of the State and National Assembly elect because the structure and ground upon which they are standing on to claim legitimacy have totally collapsed and calling on them to honourably return the certificate issued to them if they still have some amount of honour and integrity left with them and allow the rightful winners of the election take their seats in reflection of the views, and aspirations of the majority of voters across the constituencies.

"We warn that failure by the beneficiaries of the miscarriage of justice by the Appellant Court to voluntarily return and stop parading themselves as members elect within seven days (7) we will be left with no other option than to explore the possible legal  means and electoral remedy allowed by the constitution to retrieve the mandates Plateau people gave to PDP candidates because we will not allow people who woefully lost election to represent us and this will be against the tenets of democracy and rule of law."

The also passed vote of confidence on the speaker of Plateau 10th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Dewan as he demonstrates competent, capacity and stewardship in piloting affairs of the House.

Recall, few weeks ago Dewan declared that the House has only eight (8) legitimate members.