Court Restrains INEC From Excluding PDP in Plateau Re-run

 

 

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  from excluding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next Saturday’s rerun election for Langtang South state constituency of Plateau State.

INEC   had   fixed February 20, for the re-run and supplementary elections for Langtang South , Pankshin North and South state constituencies, but had urged the PDP not to field any candidate for that of Langtang South.

INEC had hinged its decision on the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which not only nullify the election of the PDP candidate, Mr. Vincent Bulus, who was declared winner, but also barred him from contesting in the rerun.

The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos had earlier barred Bulus from contesting future elections for the next 10 years.

Bulus’s election was contested by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the April 11 governorship and state House of Assembly election. Mr. Jackson Danladi, on the grounds that he was an ex-convict.
That decision of the tribunal was also affirmed by the appellate court.

However ruling on an interlocutory injunction filed by PDP against the decision of INEC, Justice  D. V. Agishi, ordered INEC to insert the logo of PDP into the ballot papers.

PDP had sought for an order of interim injunction restraining INEC, it’s agents, privies or assign or any other person acting on its behalf from excluding it from participating in the election.

Agishi said  it would not serve the interest of justice if PDP was excluded from the election, adding that it was wrong for the electoral body to exclude the party from the election.

Speaking on the ruling, PDP Organising Secretary, Mr.  Mike Dachom, and counsel to the party, Mr. Sunday Odey, described it as a triumph for democracy and rule of law.

Dachom said now that the party had secured the first hurdle, officials would be meeting to decide on who to fly the flag of the party in the election since the former candidate was disqualified on account of criminal records.