The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, affirmed the election of the immediate past governor of Plateau State who is now a Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr Simon Lalong as the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District of Plateau.
The three-member panel of Justices of the appellate court, led by Justice Elfraida Williams-Dawodu, while dismissing the three appeals by Napoleon Bali, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Lalong’s election, upheld the judgement of the National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal delivered on September 11, 2023.
The Court of Appeal, in the judgement delivered by Justice Elfraida Williams-Dawodu on the appeal by Bali, agreed with the lower court that a legally invalid sponsorship of a candidate cannot attract lawful votes.
By the judgement, the appellate Court nullified the participation of the PDP and its Senatorial candidate in the February 25 National Assembly Election, Napoleon Bali for Plateau South Senatorial District of Plateau State on ground of refusal to carry out lawful order of the Court.
Justice Elfraida Williams-Dawodu who read the unanimous judgement declared unlawful and wasted votes cast for PDP in the election and declared Lalong as the Senator for the Plateau South Senatorial District.
Lalong who stood for the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had come second in the February Senatorial election.
Justice Williams-Dawodu held that the PDP and its Senatorial candidate have no legal ground to participate in the election having failed to obey the judgment of a Plateau High Court that the party should conduct lawful elections for the purpose of having officers for Wards, Local Governments and State Council.
