Court sacks all 16 PDP members in Plateau Assembly, APC gains majority

 

 The All Progressives Congress (APC) has gained control of the Plateau House of Assembly following a ruling of the court of appeal sitting in Abuja.

The court also declared Nimchak Nansak of the APC as the winner of the Langtang north-north constituency poll for the Plateau state house of assembly.

Following the March 18 election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Nannim Langyi, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as winner of the vote.

But in a unanimous judgment on Saturday, the three-member panel of justices set aside the tribunal’s verdict and ruled that Langyi was not qualified to have contested the election.

The court further held that the PDP structure in Plateau collapsed since 2020, adding that the party cannot claim to have a structure to sponsor any candidate to contest an election.

Abang Okon, the lead justice, held that all votes scored by the PDP candidate were wasted and therefore a nullity. 

“Nimchak Abel Nansak of the APC, who scored the majority of the lawful votes is hereby declared winner and is returned as the duly elected member of the state house of assembly to represent the good people of Langtang north-north constituency of Plateau state,” the judge said.

This development means that the PDP has lost all 16 seats in the house of assembly with APC now occupying 22.

Meanwhile, on November 19, the court of appeal in Abuja sacked Mutfwang Manasseh as governor of Plateau state.

Delivering the judgment, Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, the judge, held that Manasseh was not validly sponsored by the PDP for the election.

The court also ordered the electoral commission to issue a fresh certificate of return to Nentawe Goshwe, the candidate of the APC in the election.