The inability of Plateau state government to swear-in Hon Joshua Lanven of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the elected chairman of Langtang North local government of Plateau is generating tension capable of disrupting peace in the locality.

Council elections were held in December 2018, results were declared and aggrieved partied approached the election tribunal for redress.

That of Langtang North went to the appeal court and judgement was finally given to the appealant Hon Joshua Laven of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

The appeal tribunal in its judgement in July 2019 held that the PDP candidate was the true winner of the election and ordered for the swearing-in of the winner.

The appeal tribunal stressed that the Hon Nanlok Amos of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was wrongly declared winner of the election by the state electoral commission, and that the rightful winner is Hon Joshua Laven of the PDP.

While Hon Laven was waiting to be sworn in based on the court judgement, the ruling APC instituted a fresh suit at a Jos court stopping the state government to carry out the order of the appeal tribunal.

The institution of a fresh case in a lower court after an appeal court of superior status has passed its judgement left people of the locality in shock and disbelief.

The people felt that the fresh court case was a calculated effort by the ruling party APC to deny them their right to elect their leader.

While staging a peaceful protest over the development in Jos on Saturday, a group of youths known as “Taroh Concern Youths for Justice and Good Governance” said the masses in Langtang North who voted for Hon Laven as their leader are becoming impatience over the prolonged legal tussle.

The group noted that tension is rising in the locality over what the people term political conspiracy by ruling APC to hoodwink them and rob them of leader of their choice.

The group led by its National President, Comrade Manasseh Telzing said it is worrisome for them as concern youths in the area to know that “Hon. Nanlok Amos Kparnim and the APC instituted case at the High Court of Justice in Jos against the position of the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal Court” which is the highest Court to handled local government election matters in the country.

He said “As concern young people, we are appealing to Governor Simon Along and the All Progressive Congress (APC) to respect the position of the Appeal Tribunal as history would always be unfair to them.

“We still believe strongly that there are men of integrity whose conscience is the highest authority in the Plateau State Judiciary.

“Our kind plea is to our Father, the Executive Governor of Plateau State Rt.Hon. Barr. Simon Bako Lalong to prevail on Hon. Nanlok Amos Kparnim and the All Progressive Congress (APC) to accept the decision of the Plateau State Election Petition Appeal Tribunal which is the final adjudication body or apex court regards local government elections in Nigeria as delivered on the 19th July,2019 which declared and returned Ubadndoma Joshua Laven as the duly elected Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Council by taking on the path of honour in discontinuing the certiorari proceedings instituted at the High Court of Justice Jos.”

The President maintained that “We strongly believe that the political upheavals in Langtang North can be resolved amicably out of court to give room for good governance to the people of Langtang North who are suffering because of this political crisis,” the stand

According to the group who alleged that the political crisis in the locality overtimes are often caused from Jos said “Langtang North LGC is not new to political upheaval or crisis which is mostly caused from Jos by successive administrations, despite taken longer time before conducting local government elections denying people at the grassroot the opportunity and democratic rights to choose their leaders.”

They maintained that the Taroh Concern Youths for Justice and Good Governance recalled how they mobilized people to come out and exercise their franchise in the last local government elections which if left as it is can best be described as a “Democratic rape and disgrace, more worrying is the fact that some contestants at the elections who lost out heard their names announced as winners in Jos the state capital,” Telzing lamented

The youths were also carrying placards demonstrating their displeasure on the recent development in their area with inscription such as “We are peace loving people”, “Justice is justice! Please, judiciary should follow the real procedures of local government elections petition tribunal.” Other are “Respect the rule of law,” and “We are peace makers, don’t make us peacemakers in the grave.” (The Nation)

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