Toba Owojaiye Reporting
Jos, Plateau
Tribunal verdicts and the Plateau political discord have led to a surge of protests in various parts of Jos, Plateau State. These demonstrations are a direct response to controversial judicial decisions that have overturned the election outcomes of three House of Representatives members and are causing significant concerns for the newly-elected Governor, Barr Caleb Muftwang.
The anger and discontent on the Plateau stem from recent judicial pronouncements regarding the last elections. These verdicts have undermined the initial successes and victories achieved by the Plateau political landscape due to inconsistent, unconventional, and controversial judicial interventions.
The Senate Minority Leader representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Simon Mwadkwon, was the first to be removed from office by a three-member panel of the Appeal Court. This decision was based on the lack of structure within the PDP, leading to a rerun election.
However, these annulments seem to contradict established judicial precedents and the constitutional framework. The deviation from the precedent is raising concerns of potential bias within the Tribunal judges. Two factors contributing to this suspicion are the emergence of Simon Lalong as a minister in an APC-controlled federal government and the perceived sympathies of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, who hails from Plateau State and shares an ethnic background with Lalong.
The PDP has accused the tribunal and Appeal Court of manifest bias in favor of the ruling party, highlighting the dangerous pattern of varying and conflicting judicial pronouncements. These allegations gain more weight when considering recent comments by retiring Supreme Court Justices Musa Dattijo Muhammad and Adefope Okojie, questioning the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
Furthermore, the recent Court of Appeal judgments nullifying the elections of three House of Representatives members from the PDP in Plateau State add to the political turmoil.
These lawmakers were disqualified due to their invalid nominations by the PDP, which violated a court order. The court ruled that the PDP’s failure to comply with the order was fatal to its cause, leading to the election of candidates from other political parties with the second-highest number of votes.
The Court of Appeal also criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for filing appeals in support of certain candidates, stating that INEC is supposed to be an independent arbiter, not taking sides in electoral disputes.
The ongoing political and judicial unrest in Plateau State is fueling public dissatisfaction with the judicial system and the fairness of electoral processes. It is crucial for the relevant authorities to address these concerns to maintain public trust in the political and judicial institutions on the Plateau.