The Plateau State inter-faith group has raised concerns about the conflicting election judgments issued by the Court of Appeal in Plateau State, suggesting that these contradictory decisions are gradually setting the stage for internal conflicts within the state.
In response, the group has called for the immediate intervention of the National Judicial Council.
During a world press conference held in Jos, Evangelist Joshua Ringsum and Imam Othman Abdullaahi expressed their worries about the impact of these judgments on peaceful coexistence among the state’s citizens. They accused desperate politicians of being behind the conflicting judgments emerging from the Appeal Tribunal.
The group said, “We must appreciate the relative peace we are currently enjoying in Plateau State. While many predicted a bloody 2023 general elections in Plateau State, the people of the state shamed them by conducting themselves in an orderly manner, before, during, and after the elections.
“The exercise in Plateau State turned out to be one of the most peaceful in the country as eligible voters lined up in the sun and voted for the candidates of their choice. We are however taken aback by the role of the judiciary with respect to the Tribunals set up to look into petitions filed by aggrieved candidates after the elections.
“We are also calling with a loud voice on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to give special focus on panels handling Plateau petitions so as to avoid the state the unnecessary tension on account of contradictory and conflicting judgments dispensed to erode the popular mandate of the people through technicalities.
“We hold strongly firm that it is not fair for the judiciary to decide winners of elections.”
