Plateau: LP, group bicker over Tribunal verdict

Labour Party (LP) in Plateau has expressed dismay over the outburst of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the judgment of Justice Mohammed Tukur-led National Assembly Election Tribunal, which sacked four National Assembly members of the PDP from the State.

The State Chairman of LP, Comrade Mike Audu, noted that impunity and ego have dealt a deadly blow to the PDP, adding that instead of looking inward and trying to free themselves from their self-inflicted legal wound, the party chose to go berserk, threatening not only legal luminaries but respected and revered senior judges.

“Imagine their disdain and disrespect for the tribunal. It even went to the extent of them tagging His Lordship Justice Tukur as a Sharia Court judge. While they reap what they have sown, the Labour Party is worried because of the shame this has brought upon Plateau and its people.

“For clarity, the problem of the PDP started as far back as 2021, when they were excluded from participating in local government elections due to non-compliance with court orders. From 2021 till date, instead of the PDP addressing its self-inflicted wounds, they rather resorted to further disobeying court orders.”

In a related development, a group christened “Plateau Youth Vanguard has expressed shock over the judgment of the Justice Tukur-led National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which dismissed four National Assembly members.

The group, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Ambassador Duwam Bosco, and Secretary, Hon. Simon Dung Zig, rejected the judgment on the premise that the people of Plateau State willingly gave their mandate to the federal lawmakers, adding that they were all voted overwhelmingly by the electorate.

It pointed out that the judgment was an anti-people judgment to deny the people the mandates given to them when they have chosen to represent them at the National Assembly under questionable circumstances.

The group further averred that the ground for which Justice Tukur gave the judgment was addressed by the PDP leadership with the reconduct of the party state congresses held in September 2021, during which Chris Hassan’s Exco again emerged under the supervision of INEC officials and was documented.

It therefore demanded the immediate release of copies of the Tribunal’s judgment to PDP lawyers as they prepare to head to the Court of Appeal.