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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Youth leaders, under the aegis of the Forum of the of Former Youth Leaders (Veterans) in Plateau State, have cautioned the two panels sitting on the national and state assembly elections petitions not to throw the state into chaos by what they described as contradictory judgments emanating from the tribunals.
The youths questioned why two panels, one, led by William Rotimi and the other by M. B. Tukur, would be conflicting in their judgments when they were the same courts of cognate jurisdiction.
Speaking at a press conference in Jos, yesterday, the veteran youths leaders expressed regret that while Rotimi panel recognised that the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had solid structures, the Tukur-led panel said the PDP had no structures, the stand upon which it upheld the petitions filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the various elections in the state.
“We, the veterans and well-meaning Plateau people, wish to express our worries and concerns on the unprofessional and contradictory judgments delivered by Tukur in opposition to preceding judgment of the presidential tribunal of corresponding in respect of Plateau State senatorial and House of Representatives elections against the weight of evidence and the rule of law.
“In line with the constitution of Nigeria, the fabricated and extensively speculated question of structure, upon which the aggrieved petitioners anchored their optimism in their suit against the PDP, was unfalteringly thrown out and effortlessly quashed by the earlier judgment pronounced by Rotimi and his two other justices at s tribunal of same jurisdiction.”
“Having affirmed the validity of PDP’s structure as evidenced by the plethora of earlier judgments that the PDP had complied with the judgments of Gang and Kuda and; in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022 as well as Chapter 8 of the PDP constitution, the tribunal in the case between Simon Mwadkon Vs others; Musa A. Agah Vs others, the professional judgment of the tribunal is resounding and commendable.
“In a similar professional ruling in the case of Isaac’s Kwalu Vs others, the tribunal maintained a similar stance, which practically laid to rest the question of whether or not PDP has structure. The tribunal in these cases unequivocally ruled that nomination and sponsorship of candidates for elections was the singular duty of the party and that the procedure of contesting such nomination was limited to only members of that party, which must be through a Federal High Court.
“The veterans therefore said they were scandalised by the subsequent contradictory judgment delivered by Tukur on September 11, the respective victories of Peter Gyendeng, Musa Bagos and Beni Lar of Barkin Ladi/Riyom, Jos South/Jos East and Langtang North/Langtang South federal constituencies as well as the election of Napoleon Bali of Plateau South senatorial districts were unjustly overturned on the same grounds as the first judgments.
“We assert that for Tukur to singly contradict his learned colleagues who had earlier upheld the elections of Mwadkon, Agah and Isaac Kwalu on the same grounds tantamount to sowing a seed of discord and chaos in the state.”
