The Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital has upheld the election of Governor, Simon Lalong of All Progressives Congress, APC.In a ruling which lasted for four and half hours and delivered by a three-man panel chaired by Justice Johnson Candide, the tribunal stated that all votes scored by Lalong of the APC were valid and dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the said election, Gyang Pwajok.
Also yesterday, the Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Gombe upheld the election of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.
In dismissing Pwajok’s petition, the Plateau tribunal said the petitioner failed to prove his case that the election that produced Lalong was characterized by electoral malpractices that could warrant the nullification of the election and dismissed the case for lack of credible evidence to prove his petition.
It also held that the issues of malpractice, over-voting and intimidation brought before the tribunal lacked substantial evidence to support the allegation that the election was marred by irregularities.
The petitioner was ordered to pay a fine of N50,000 to each of the three respondents.
However, before the sitting, the State Commissioner of Police, Adekunle Oladunjoye checked security arrangement around the venue of the tribunal and journalists without accreditation were barred from the venue.
Although Governor Lalong was not in court as he had travelled for pilgrimage in Israel but his party chieftains, including the State APC Chairman, Mr. Latep Dabang were in court.
The PDP candidate, Senator Pwajok was also not in court.
After the judgment, counsel to the APC, Mr. Garba Pwul expressed satisfaction at the outcome, saying the process was detailed and the Acting State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Raymond Dabo, said there was a possibility the PDP will appeal the judgment.
Dabo congratulated the Governor on the victory saying, “We did not say it before, we are now saying it. We would study the content of the judgment and decide on the next line of action.”
Also yesterday, the three man Gombe Governorship Election Tribunal led by Justice A. A. Nwobodo dismissed the petition instituted by the candidate of the African Democracy Congress, ADC, in the last election, Malam Jafar Abubakar.
The tribunal affirmed that the case jointly instituted by Abubakar and his party lacked merit and as such returned Dankwambo as winner of the election.