From News Editor
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has nullified the election of the Senate Minority Leader, Sen Simon Mwadkon, declaring that he was not validly nominated by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
The verdict came on Sunday, following a legal battle between Gyang Yaya Zi and the Labour Party (LP) as the 1st and 2nd Appellants, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Simon Mwadkwon, and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondents for the Plateau State Northern Senatorial District.
In suit number CA/J/EP/PL/SEN/15/2023, by Justice Daudu Williams, E.O.Abangs, and Mohammed Mustapha, it was declared that the previous election of Sen. Simon Mwadkon null and void.
The judges said it is their view that court orders were not fully complied with by the PDP as 12 Local Government Areas, LGAs, didn’t participate in the congress that voted for the senator.
The court also ordered a fresh election for the Plateau North Senatorial seat.
In a momentous ruling, the court ordered a re-run election to be conducted within 90 days to determine the new representative for the Plateau North Senatorial District
In the judgment, the Court cited non-compliance with a subsisting court order as a key factor in the decision. The pursuit of due process, the Court declared, necessitates a fresh election for the Plateau North Senatorial seat meaning the people’s democratic party PDP will not be participating in the rerun elections as declared by the appeal court
