Follow Us on Google
The fortunes of the Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to dwindle, as the election petition tribunal sitting in Jos, has sacked two members of the state House of Assembly.
The two members elected on the platform of the PDP in the last general election were Maren Ishaku, representing Bokkos and Timothy Datong, representing Riyom constituencies in the legislative assembly
The tribunal declared Wallangko Sylvester Ibrahim and Moses Dachum, all of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winners of the election.
The duo were sacked by the Justice Tukur-led panel, which has so far sacked eight PDP lawmakers including members of the House of Representatives and a senator on the same ground, and declared candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party that came second in the elections winners
The petitioners had challenged the election of Ishaku and Datong on the grounds that as at the time of their nomination by the PDP to contest the election, the party had no structure and therefore not qualified to sponsor candidates for an election.
Justices Muhammad Tukur and Omaka Olekwa, in their separate judgements, agreed with the petitioners, saying that they had the locus standi to challenge the sponsorship of the PDP lawmakers and consequent declaration of the respondents as winners of the March 18 legislative election. The justices submitted that at the time of the election, PDP had no valid structure to sponsor a candidate.
They added that the party was still in disobedience to court order of Justice S P Gang of Plateau State High Court delivered on November 26, 2020.
The court had ordered PDP to conduct ward congress to elect state executive of the party following a suit filed by a member of the party, Bitrus Kaze, against the election of Chris Hassan-led executive
