Tribunal declares Ex-Plateau gov. Lalong winner of senatorial election

The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has declared a former governor of the state, Simon Lalong, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the duly elected person for Plateau South senatorial district.

Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Mahmoud Tukur held that the votes scored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Napoleon Bali, in the February 25 election were wasted votes as he was invalidly nominated.

The unanimous Monday judgment held that as of the time of the nomination, the PDP had no valid structure in the state.

On the other grounds of over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral laws, the panel ruled that the petitioners could not prove the allegations.

The tribunal also sacked Peter Gyendeng as member representing Barikin Ladi/ Riyom federal constituency of the House of Representatives and declared Fom Dalyop of the Labour Party (LP) who became second in the February 25 general elections in the state, as winner.

In their separate rulings, Justice Omaka Elekwo and Justice Muhammad Tukur nullified the election of the two PDP candidates because of the party’s refusal to respect the order of a Jos High court to conduct ward congresses before the last general elections.

The Justices therefore said the evidence presented by the APC and LP candidates were relevant and admissible.