The Group expressed optimism that the appeal court would reverse the judgment of the Tribunal. Photo: Radio Igeria Archive
A Civil Society Organization (CSO) Citizen United for Democracy in Nigeria wants the appellate court to reconsider the verdict of the Election Petition Court which nullified the National Assembly election of PDP candidates in Plateau state on the ground of “structural issues”.
At a News Briefing in Abuja, National Coordinator of the group, Felix Ngutswen said the reason given by the election petition court were pre-election matters.
The group wondered why if the Presidential Election Petition Court had no jurisdiction on a pre-election matter, that the Plateau State National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal have jurisdiction on the same pre-election matter.
“The Presidential Election Petition Court has already ruled and spelt out the sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how an elected public officer can be disqualified.”
The group said, despite the evidence tendered before the Tribunal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the repeat Congresses conducted on the 25th September, 2021 as a result of the court rulings, the Tribunal went ahead to disqualify the seats of candidates of the PDP in the National Assembly Elections.
Reporting by Gwamkat Gwamzhi; Editing by Daniel Adejo