The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has rendered a verdict nullifying the election of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon. The court, in its ruling issued on Sunday, declared the election null and void on the grounds that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) failed to validly nominate Mwadkwon as its candidate.
The court cited several critical factors leading to this decision. Firstly, it pointed out that the PDP did not fully comply with the Electoral Act, as twelve Local Government Areas (LGA) did not participate in the congress organized by the party. Additionally, the court emphasized that non-compliance with a subsisting court order played a significant role in the ruling.
In delivering the lead judgment, Justice Elphreda Dawodu-Williams expressed, "The court made total findings with regard to the issue in focus. To avoid anarchy, I agree with the appellants that the court must protect an order of another court. I agree with the appellant that the third respondent (PDP) had no valid structure and could not have claimed to have validly nominated the second respondent (Mwadkwon) for the election. Given the findings of this court, the appeal, therefore, succeeds as the court order was not complied with."
As a result of this verdict, the court has ordered a re-run election to be conducted within 90 days to determine the new representative for the Plateau North Senatorial District. The ruling has effectively barred the PDP from participating in the rerun elections, as declared by the appeal court.
The legal battle leading to this landmark decision saw Gyang Yaya Zi and the Labour Party (LP) as the 1st and 2nd Appellants, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mwadkwon, and the PDP as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondents. Consequently, the first respondent, INEC, has been instructed to conduct another senatorial election in Plateau North within the stipulated 90-day timeframe.
This ruling has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, leading to uncertainties about the future leadership of the Plateau North Senatorial District. It is anticipated that the upcoming re-run election will be closely monitored and hotly contested
