A group christened Forum of the Former Youth Leaders (Veterans) in Plateau State has frowned at the two contradictory judgments from the two panels of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, questioning why the one led by Justice William Rotimi and the other led by Justice M. B. Tukur should be conflicting in their judgments when they’re in the same courts of cognate jurisdiction.

Addressing newsmen on Monday in Jos, Plateau State, the group leader, Ibrahim Itse, wondered why one of the panels led by Justice Williams recognized that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had solid structures. The Tukur-led panel said that the PDP had no structures, the stand upon which it upheld the petitions filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the various elections in the state.

The group declared: “We, the veterans and well-meaning Plateau people, wish to express our worries and concerns about the unprofessional and contradictory judgments delivered by Justice M. B. Tukur in opposition to the preceding judgment of the presidential tribunal in respect of the Plateau state senatorial and House of Representatives elections against the weight of evidence and the rule of law.

“In line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the fabricated and extensively speculated question of structure, upon which the aggrieved petitioners anchored their optimism in their suit against the PDP, was unfalteringly thrown out and effortlessly quashed by the earlier judgment pronounced by Justice William Rotimi and his two other justices at a tribunal of the same jurisdiction.

“Having affirmed the validity of the PDP’s structure as evidenced by the plethora of earlier judgments that the PDP had complied with the judgments of Justice Gang and Kuda and, in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, as well as Chapter 8 of the PDP constitution, the tribunal in the case between Sen. Simon Mwadkon vs. others and Hon. Musa A. Agah vs. others, the professional judgement of the tribunal is resounding and commendable.

‘In a similar professional ruling in the case of Isaa’s Kwalu vs. others, the tribunal maintained a similar stance, which practically laid to rest the question of whether or not PDP has structure. The tribunal in these cases unequivocally ruled that nomination and sponsorship of candidates for elections was the singular duty of the party and that the procedure of contesting such nomination was limited to only members of that party, which must be through a Federal High Court.

“The veterans therefore said that they were scandalized by the subsequent contradictory judgment delivered by Justice M. B. Tukur on the 11th of September. The respective victories of Hon. Peter Gyendeng, Hon. Musa Bagos, and Hon. Beni Lar of Barkin Ladi/Riyom, Jos South/Jos East, and Langtang North/Langtang South federal constituencies, as well as the election of Napoleon Bali of Plateau South Senatorial districts, were unjustly overturned on the same grounds as the first judgments.

“We assert that for Justice Tukur to singly contradict his learned colleagues who had earlier upheld the elections of Mwadkon, Agah, and Isaac Kwalu on the same grounds, it is tantamount to sowing a seed of discord and chaos in the state.’

The veteran youth leaders said that, “While we respect the sanctity of the Nigerian judiciary, we are perturbed about this recent debacle that is setting the state in needless strife. This development is awfully troubling to us.”

It stated that Plateau people with one loud voice chose PDP, and their choice must be respected, adding that the learned Justice (M. B. Tukur) erred in law to have unjustifiably interloped into an area external to the core interests and powers of his court (tribunal); hence, his justice should be revisited.

“That the legal technicalities and intelligence should not be used to nullify the victory of Plateau duly elected leaders.

“That the election of PDP members who have been duly returned and sworn in and who are still pending in the tribunal should be upheld.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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