The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State, which nullified the election victory of Peter Gyengdeng of the House of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the House of Representatives member representing Barkin/Riyom Federal Constituency of the state.
The tribunal had affirmed the Labour Party candidate, Fom Chollom, as the lawmaker representing the constituency following a petition he filed.
Chollom had argued before the tribunal that the PDP candidate’s victory should be quashed because his party did not conduct a valid congress to nominate him as candidate.
The argument was upheld by the Tribunal and the PDP candidate’s election was nullified.
The PDP then approached the court of appeal for a final verdict on whether the LP had the legal right to challenge the internal affairs of the PDP.
On Tuesday, the three-man panel of the court chaired by Justice Williams Daudu held that the Tribunal’s decision was in order.
“This appeal fails for lacking merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge said while affirming the election of the LP candidate.
BREAKING: LP Floors PDP As Appeal Court Affirms Fom Chollom Plateau Rep Member is first published on The Whistler Newspaper