Apparently disturbed by the recent developments in Plateau State, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has attributed the happenings ranging from the crisis in the legislature to an attempt to stop the Chairman of Langtang North LGA from returning back to the office to act of impunity failed leadership.
Addressing newsmen in Jos, the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr John Akans expressed disappointment that the governor of the state Governor Simon Lalong a lawyer who is expected to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of Nigeria like his Sokoto, Rivers and Ondo colleagues, is behaving otherwise.
“Here on the Plateau, we have found ourselves in a situation of an unexplainable predicament where rule of law is least observed with reckless abuse of the constitution. Court orders are manipulated and given different meanings to suit the power that be in the watchful eyes of the Chief Executive who is a lawyer.”
Akans who alleged that the vandalisation of the State Assembly by hoodlums was sponsored by the government added that it was done with a view to relocating the factional speaker to the old government house for the continued illegalities.
“We understand that the main reason for doing this is to silence and deny other 12 members from discharging their constitutional responsibilities as legislators because of their firm position against illegality and impunity as presently their allowances have been denied,” he said.
The Publicity Secretary who also condemned both the state government and Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) for disobeying a court order in the case of the chairmanship of Langtang North said the party got a judgment at the State High Court by Justice Ishaku Kunda against PLASIEC which was delivered in the second case of PDP against PLASIEC on local government council elections.
He added that the court agreed with the PDP’s submission that PLASIEC has no power under the law to charge and receive nomination fees for forms and that they also have no power to collect administrative charges from political parties and their candidates adding that it means that PLASIEC guidelines imposing nomination and administrative fees have been nullified by the court.
“It should be noted also that our candidate of 2018 local government election, Dr Joshua Ubandoma Laven got his mandate through the court as the duly elected Executive Chairman of Lantang North local government for three years tenure which PLASIEC mischievously advertised his position during its last month sham election and by law, he still has one year in office which the court has since ordered that there was no need for PLASIEC to have conducted election into the office of Chairman Lantang North local government and therefore any action taken by PLASIEC is null and void.
“But the APC led government through the Attorney General is busy interpreting the law upside down in its usual characteristics just to frustrate the judgment. Even the motion for injunction filed by judgment debtors has since been struck out, yet Governor Lalong has refused to allow the law and order of the court to take effect,” he said.
He pointed out that PDP in the state is determined to stand up to defend the freedom, liberty and integrity of Plateau people as enshrined in the constitution.
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