Tribunal Ruling Sparks PDP’s Strong Disapproval Citing Removal Of Federal Lawmakers....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Plateau chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed its disapproval of the verdict delivered by the National Assembly election petitions tribunal, which awarded the Plateau South Senate seat to Simon Lalong.

Speaking to reporters in Jos, PDP Chairman Chris Hassan rejected the tribunal’s ruling on Tuesday. The tribunal, led by Justice M. B. Tukur, declared Mr. Lalong as the victor of the February 25 national assembly elections and nullified Peter Gyendeng’s election in the Riyom-Barkin Ladi federal constituency, declaring Fom Dalyop of the Labour Party, who finished second, as the winner.

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Both Gyendeng and Dalyop had approached the tribunal to contest the victories of Napoleon Bali and Gyendeng, who were members of the PDP and had won the senatorial and House of Representatives seats, respectively.

The tribunal’s decision to overturn the results was based on the petitioners’ argument that they had been wrongly nominated since the PDP lacked a valid structure at the time they were selected as its candidates.

PDP Chairman Chris Hassan voiced his dissatisfaction, stating, “The PDP watched with dismay and trepidation the nullification of the elections of our senator representing Plateau South and House of Representatives member representing Barkin Ladi-Riyom federal constituency.” He further stated, “We reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served, and it did not reflect the law and the interest of the majority of the people as freely expressed at the election.”

Hassan continued, “The judgment was an electoral robbery, which is unacceptable to the people of Plateau because it is contrary to the will of the people of the constituencies, which was freely expressed via the votes we got in the election.”

He maintained that the tribunal made an error by relying on the internal disputes within the PDP to make its ruling in favor of the petitioners. He explained that the party had since complied with the judgment of Justice S.P. Gang and conducted a new congress, asserting that the party now possesses a “solid and valid structure.”

Hassan also criticized the tribunal’s decision, stating that it lacked even a trace of justice. He described the judgments as a distortion of the clear intentions and choices of the people, especially in light of the recent consolidated judgments delivered by the presidential election petition tribunal.