Plateau LG poll: Appeal tribunal orders re-hearing of Langtang North petition

Gyang Bere, Jos

The Plateau State Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal sitting in Jos has ordered the re-hearing of a chairmanship petition of Ubandoma Joshua Laven of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) based on the merit of the case.

Chairman of the Appellate Tribunal, Justice Arum Ashom, gave the order in a judgement in the appeal of Laven and PDP against Kwarnim Nanloh of the All Progressive Congress and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission.

It would be recalled that after the conduct of the October 10, 18 councillorship and local government chairmanship elections by Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) and subsequent return of Kwarnim Nanloh of APC as chairman of Langtang North, Laven and PDP contested the result at the tribunal.

However, through preliminary objections and motions on notices, counsel to the respondents challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to hear the petition on the grounds that it was incompetent, statute barred and filed out of time.

Deciding on the objections raised, the tribunal chaired by Jovita Binjim with Jacob Longden and Isaiah Randa as members, in its wisdom struck out the petition which prompted the petitioners to file an appeal against the judgement.

The grounds for the appeal was for the Appeal Tribunal to determined whether they were heard on merit, if they were giving rights to a fair hearing when the tribunal refused to use the two sets of results of the election presented before it and if the date for the declaration of the results were not wrongly calculated

Deciding on the four issues raised, the Appeal Tribunal with Justice Arum Ashom as chairman with Nankwat Shaseet and Martin Omohwo as members, while resolving the four grounds for the appeal in favour of the appellants, said the appeal succeeded as there was a miscarriage of justice by the lower tribunal.

It also set aside the ruling of the tribunal on 14/1/19 that dismissed the petition of the petitioners. The chairman of the tribunal pointed out that arriving at that decision could not have arisen if the lower tribunal had looked at the witnessed statement of Kwarnim Nanloh which adduced to the fact that results were announced on 16/10/18 instead of 10/10/18 as alluded to.

However, subsequently, the appeal tribunal chairman ordered the petition to return to the trial tribunal to be heard base on merit.

Reacting to the development, Laven said it was a victory for the good people of Langtang North local government council as the judiciary is the last hope for the common man in the country.