The Court of Appeal’s Abuja division has ruled that Senate Minority Leader Simon Mwadkwon’s victory in the Plateau North senatorial election on February 25 is void.
This occurred when the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, was mandated by the Appeal Court to hold a new election in less than 90 days.
In response to pleas from Gyang Zi of the Labour Party (LP) and Chris Giwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the court rendered a decision.
The National/State Election Petitions Tribunal in Jos, Plateau State, had previously upheld Mwadkwon of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the legitimate victor of the senatorial election. Giwa and Zi had filed an appeal against this ruling.
They said that because the PDP lacked organization, Mwadkwon was ineligible to run for office.
Justice E. Daudu, reading the lead judgment, concluded that because 12 local government areas did not send representatives to the aforementioned party congress, the PDP had not complied with the High Court’s ruling in its entirety.
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“With regard to the main issue, the court rendered comprehensive findings.
I concur with the appellants that the court must uphold an order from another court in order to prevent chaos.
“I concur with the appellant that the third respondent was unable to legitimately nominate Mwadkwon, the second respondent, for the election because it lacked a legitimate framework.
“In light of this court’s conclusions, the appeal is successful because the court order was not followed.
Daudu issued an order directing the first respondent to hold a new senatorial election in Plateau North within ninety days.
