The All Progressives Congress Plateau State Chapter, warmly congratulates its party leader and immediate past Governor of Plateau State, former Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of Labour and Productivity, His Excellency Rt.Hon Simon Bako Lalong KSGG, CON over his well- deserved victory at the National Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Jos today.
Statement made available to this medium and was Signed:
Hon. Sylvanus Namang,
APC State Publicity Secretary stated that in a four – hour painstaking and very articulate Judgment by the erudite Jurist and Chairman of the NASS Assembly Tribunal, His Lordship, Justice B. M .Tukur pronounced the former governor and former Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Bako Lalong who came second in the February National Assembly Election as the legally and duly elected Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District as against AVM Napoleon Bali who was hitherto announced as the elected Senator by INEC.
The Tribunal based its ruling mainly on Ground One of the former Governor’s Petition that the Plateau State PDP ought not to have participated in the last General Elections as it did not have the legal structure to have validly nominated and fielded candidates for the National elections due to its disobedience of Court Orders especially the Justice S. P Gang of Plateau State High Court’s unassailable judgment and directive to the party to conduct a Congress to constitute a legally binding party Executive Committee which it bluntly refused to do so since 2020.
It was based on the PDP’s shooting itself on the foot that Justice Ishaku Kunda also of the Jos High Court ruled against its participation in the 2021 Local Government election which was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court respectively.
The APC has always believed in the sanctity of the judiciary being part of the electoral process especially its sacred role of adjucating and arbitrating over dissatisfaction by aggrieved parties and candidates in elections.
Today’s landmark, judgement is illuminating and put to rest the controversy that PDP has no legally constituted Exco.
We also want to applaud justices O. Elekwa and O. A. Adetujoye who also concurred with the lead judgement.
The judgment, we believe is a clear roadmap to better days ahead for the APC in the state in the remaining Plateau Tribunal judgments.
The entire APC family therefore, heartily rejoices with our Principal, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, a very patient, humble and tolerant leader, Rt.Hon Hon. Simon Bako Lalong over this remarkable victory at the Tribunal.
We enjoin our supporters to celebrate today’s victory at the Tribunal with utmost sense of decorum as we await the remaining judgments for the House of Representatives, House of Assembly and Gubernatorial Election Petitions by the Tribunals sitting in Jos.
