In a recent interview with Arise TV, Hon. Istifanus Mwansat, the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, expressed his strong disapproval of the Court of Appeal’s conflicting judgments that have nullified the mandates of some Plateau People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the state.
These judgments, he claimed, pertained to a pre-election matter that had already been addressed by the Supreme Court, and he characterized them as a “miscarriage of justice.”
Mwansat, in a passionate interview, pointed out that the Appeal Court’s rulings appeared to be deliberately designed to sow discord among the people of Plateau.
Mwansat explained the inconsistencies in the judgments, citing examples such as the Plateau North Senatorial District, where the Appeal Court ordered a rerun despite the Labour Party candidate coming second and the APC coming third. Similarly, in the Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, where the PDP won decisively and the PRP came second, the Appeal Court called for a rerun involving all political parties.
Expressing his objection, Mwansat highlighted the case of Shendam/Quanpan/Mikang Federal Constituency, where the Appeal Tribunal sacked the PDP candidate, awarding the victory to the APC who came second simply to appease the party.
He criticized the judgments as conflicting, saying they were a deliberate attempt to deny the PDP candidates of their overwhelming victories in the state.
Mwansat, a member of the PDP’s Caretaker Committee that supervised the party congresses in Plateau, emphasized that the PDP had complied with a State High Court order by repeating the state congresses on September 25, 2023.
He particularly drew attention to the case of Augustine Timkuk, a PDP aspirant for Langtang North State Constituency, who challenged the party’s primary election outcome in the Federal High Court.
Despite this challenge, the former Speaker said the Appeal Court upheld the validity of PDP’s structure and candidate nomination procedures.
He urged the Court of Appeal to review these judgments thoroughly and ensure justice prevails, in view of their implications to the peace and security of the state.
