By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The National and State Assembly Election Petitions tribunal sitting in Jos has sacked the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Moses Sule.
Sule was elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Mikang State Constituency in the House
The tribunal, headed by Justice Mohammed Tukur, declared Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner for Mikang State constituency.
Justice Tukur held that as at the time of his nomination by PDP, the party had no structure and so could not have sponsored any candidate for the March 18 election.
By this verdict, our correspondent gathered that the APC now controls the majority in the 24-member State legislature with 14 members, PDP has nine while the Young Peoples Party (YPP) has one.
For the National Assembly, the APC now has 2 senators and four Members House of Representatives against the PDP’s one Senator and two Members in the green chambers. The Labour Party has two members House of Representatives.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Plateau State Chapter wishes to commend the Justice B.M. Tukur-led National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal including learned Justices Omaka Elekwa and A. O. Adetujoye, over its resounding verdicts since it began its judgments on the petitions before it.
For the National Assembly petitions, the Tribunal has declared APC candidates: H.E. Simon Bako Lalong as the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District; Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase and Hon. Vincent Venman Bulus as Members Representing Wase and Langtang North/South Federal Constituencies respectively.
In its verdicts for the State Assembly petitions, the same Tribunal has also declared the following APC candidates as winners: Rt. Hon. Yakubu Sanda for Pengana constituency; Hon. Eli Bako Ankala for Rukuba/ Irigwe constituency; Hon. Sylvester Ibrahim Wallangko for Bokkos constituency; Hon. Nanbol Josiah Gomam for Langtang North-Central constituency; Hon. Mark Sunday Naah for Jos North-West constituency and Hon. Dachung Moses for Riyom constituency.
APC, in its reaction to the judgment described the sacking of the speaker as “the sweetest victory.”
In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary, Sylvanus Namang, the party said, “One of the sweetest victories is the declaration of the tribunal sacking Hon. Moses Sule the PDP candidate and Speaker of the PLHA and declaring Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil of the APC as Hon. Member for Mikang State constituency.
“So far, so good, the victories of the APC at the Tribunal signal a good omen for the Party, for it has greatly recovered lost grounds with every likelihood of taking over the State.
The party commended the Justice Tukur-led Tribunal saying the judgments, coming from him, “As usual, left no one in doubt about the transparency of the judicial decision.
“The judgments have further affirmed that the PDP is not only in disobedience of court orders but also lacks a valid structure for sponsoring candidates for any elective office in the State .
“The APC in the state salutes the Tribunal for its courage, sound, resilience, focused and meticulous handling of the petitions before it, in spite of media propaganda, open threats, blackmail and its refusal to be induced with fat sum of looted and diverted financial resources.
“We are particularly touched and humbled by Justice M. B.Tukur’s profound statement after delivering the last set of Judgments in the State House of Assembly Petitions before him that; “Those that bought you today will not trust you tomorrow”.
