The Plateau State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, hereby applauds the Appeal Tribunal Judgments of Sunday 22nd October, 2023 where it set aside the Trial Tribunal decision and nullified the February 25th National Assembly elections which erroneously declared Hon. Simon Mwadkon and Hon. Musa Agah Avia as Senator and Member House of Representatives respectively, both of the Peoples Democratic Party as winners.
Statement made available to this medium and was signed by Hon. Sylvanus Namang,
APC State Publicity Secretary stated that in the unanimous Judgments read by Hon. Justice Elfreda Oluwayemisi Williams- Dawodu on behalf of the three- member panel premised its decisions among others, on the fact that the Jos High Judgment compelling the PDP to conduct acceptable congresses was not complied with by the party as 12 LGAs out of the 17 LGAs in Plateau State did not participate in the Congress.
In the profound and unassailable Judgment, Justice Dawodu stated inter alia;
“To avoid anarchy, I agree with the appellants that the Court must protect an Order of another Court”
She continued in the landmark judgement: “I agree with the appellants that the Third Respondent (PDP) had NO VALID STRUCTURE and could not claim to have validly nominated the Second Respondent ( Simon Mwadkon) for the Senatorial election .
“Given the findings of this Court, ( the Appeal Tribunal) the Appeal, therefore succeeds as the Court Order was not complied with”
” The First Respondent ( INEC) is hereby ordered to conduct another senatorial election in Plateau North within 90 days ” the Appeal Court ruled.
The same was the verdict against Musa Agah also of the PDP by the same panel.
We have copiously quoted the judgment
knowing the mischief and stubborn behaviour of the Plateau factional PDP which specialises in grand deception even in the midst of glaring facts and evidence.
To be sure, the Order by the Court for a rerun election within 90 days is to the exclusion of the PDP which in the eye of the Law, ought not to have fielded candidates for the 2023 General Elections which several judicial pronouncements have been repeatedly made to that effect.
The Plateau PDP should continue to lick its wounds which it has notoriously inflicted on itself due to its non compliance or respect for Court Orders.
The APC in Plateau state, therefore, heartily congratulates the Appellants and beneficiaries of the 22nd October, 2023 Appeal Court Judgments, who are both members of our great party the APC and Labour Party respectively.
We commend their resilience, patience and decision to resort to the Courts which remain the last hope of aggrieved parties.
At this juncture, the APC condemns in very strong terms a press statement dated 23rd October, 2023 credited to Hon. Chris Hassan, the factional State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau State Chapter on the outcome of the fair, just and equitable judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
No doubt, the Appeal Tribunal in its landmark judgement, rightly sacked Hon. Simon Mwadkon and Hon. Musa Agah both of the PDP on the strength of the watertight petitions of the APC candidates against the backdoor and phyrric victories of the duo.
The self-consolatory and nerve-soothing Press Statement, apart from sounding rather ridiculous, further exposes the PDP as a Party that is always in disobedience of Court Orders which the Justice Elfreda Oluwayemisi Willams-Dawodu Court of Appeal Panel rightly confirmed in its landmark judicial decision of the 3-member high-heeled Panel.
The said Press Statement is an outrageous political grandstanding which, to all intents and purposes, sends wrong signals to our democratic norms.
We have heard his bravado about winning elections 100 times if repeated. But why can PDP be talking about winning elections when it has failed to put its house in order since 2021 by consistently refusing to be respect democratic practice?
We are living in a democracy and not in a Banana Republic or a fascist regime where things operate by peremptory fiat, decrees or according to the whims and caprices of a maximum ruler.
Even when given the opportunity to govern, it has already left so much to be desired in terms of governance delivery in just 5 months that it has been on the saddle.
The PDP has already failed the “performance test” hence we would not bother about its participation or not in any election which it has ruled itself out. For now, the PDP is a “meddlesome interloper” and “by stander” in the forthcoming rerun.
We are particularly taking great exception to the PDP’s usual rebuff against every decision of any court of competent jurisdiction. There are no two ways about the fact that the PDP in Plateau State, by its antics, is already putting our democracy in danger. As far as the PDP is concerned, our democracy must always be in danger if it does not favour them.
We are concerned that the factional State Chairman of the PDP seems to overlook the fact that elections can be won at the ballot and at the Judiciary which has the bounden duty of putting the electoral integrity to test, as part of the electoral process.
Whenever a judicial decision suits them, they sing hallelujah and when it goes the other way, crucify whoever passed the judgment! It is little wonder that Hon. Chris Hassan shamelessly wrote a petition against Justice M.B. Tukur and members of his panel when their sound judgment went against the PDP. What a party?
Furthermore, it appears that the PDP does not believe that its lackluster and clueless performance of the Governir Caleb Mutfwang led-government in just five months has already estranged it from the people, hence it cannot convincingly win any election even if repeated once.
It is not in our character to comment on a matter that is already before the Court, which is sub judice. We cannot indulge in a statement that would pre-empt the decision of the Court, but as far as we are concerned, by the resounding judgment of the Court of Appeal, on 22nd October 2023, the PDP on the Plateau has already committed suicide. May its soul rest in peace.
