Tribunal Upholds Plateau Gov. Lalong’s Election

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos on Monday upheld the election of Simon Lalong as governor of Plateau.

The tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Gyang Pwajok, for lack of merit.

Pwajok had challenged the victory of Gov. Lalong of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Johnson Candida, held that the all the petitions presented by the petitioners where based on documentary hearsay.

“The tribunal holds that the petitioners abandoned their criminal case and concentrated on civil matters and therefore could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt. The tribunal also holds that all the petitions presented by the petitioners were base on documentary hearsay. On the allegation of over voting, the petitioners were not able to prove their case, because they needed to have provided witnesses to speak to the documents presented.

”The petitioners didn’t disclose any reason to make the tribunal take further action, and so the case is hereby dismissed for lack of merit,” he declared.

The tribunal directed the petitioners to pay N50,000 fine each to the three respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, and Gov. Lalong.

Counsel to APC, Garba Pwul (SAN) described the judgment as victory for the Nigerian judiciary.

He said that the judgment was clear evidence that the Nigerian judicial system was making headway, adding that the judgment had gone a long way to make Nigeria better.