Tribunal sacks two Plateau PDP assembly members

The Plateau State election petition tribunal in Jos, on Thursday, sacked two members of the state house of assembly, Hon. Maren Ishaku and Timothy Datong, representing Bokkos and Riyom constituencies respectively in the house. The sacked lawmakers were elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election. The tribunal […]

The Plateau State election petition tribunal in Jos, on Thursday, sacked two members of the state house of assembly, Hon. Maren Ishaku and Timothy Datong, representing Bokkos and Riyom constituencies respectively in the house.

The sacked lawmakers were elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election.

The tribunal however declared Wallangko Sylvester Ibrahim and Moses Dachum, all of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winners of the election. 

The petitioners had earlier challenged the sponsorship of the lawmakers by the PDP on the grounds that their party does not have a structure and therefore not qualified to sponsor candidates for an election.

In their separate judgements, Justices Muhammad Tukur and Omaka Olekwa said the petitioners had the locus standi to challenge the sponsorship of the PDP lawmakers.

The justices therefore held that at the time of the election, PDP had no valid structure to sponsor a candidate as the party was still in disobedience to court order of Justice S P Gang of Plateau State High Court delivered on November 26, 2020, which ordered the party to conduct ward congresses but refused.

Daily Trust reports that the Justice Tukur-led panel has so far sacked eight PDP lawmakers including reps and a senator on the same ground, and declared candidates that came second in the elections.