The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State has declared former governor of the state, Simon Lalong, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected senator to represent Plateau South Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
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 judgment held that as at the time of the nomination, the PDP had no valid structure in the state.
On the other grounds of over voting and non-compliance of the electoral laws, the panel ruled that the petitioners could not prove the allegations.
Similarly, the PDP also lost the Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency seat to Labour Party candidate, Dalyop Chollom.
The tribunal ruled that Peter Gyenden of the PDP was not validly nominated as at the time of his nomination due to his party’s no valid structure in the state.
SOURCE: The Pledge
