In Plateau LG poll, PDP loses, wins at Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal in Jos, Plateau State, at the weekend, quashed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging its exclusion from participating in the local council elections in the state.

But it upheld the party’s suit in Langtang North Council, noting that the three-year tenure of Joshua Laven, its candidate, had not expired when the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) declared his seat vacant.

Justice Ibrahim Ali, who read the lead judgment, said the appellant (PDP) had no cause to appeal against the judgment delivered by Justice Ishaku Kunda of the Plateau State High Court, which was in favour of Laven as chairman of Langtang North.

Thus, the court upheld Kunda’s judgment that the PDP’s appeal lacked merit.

PLASIEC had excluded PDP in the chairmanship election, saying the party did not have an executive committee, adding that the Sen. Suleiman Adokwe congress for the primaries was illegal and could not stand the test of time.

However the judge did not award any cost to any party, saying: “Any election conducted was null and void, so the court hereby affirms the judgment of the lower court that quashed the appeal by PDP against PLASIEC.”