Gyang Bere, Jos
Supporters of the Plateau State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stormed the premises of the State High Court Jos on Monday demanding that Justice Nafisatu Musa revert his interim injunction that restrained the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) from issuing a certificate of return to Ubandoma Joshua Laven as the elected Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Daily Sun gathered that the youths who besieged the court premises at about 7:30 am waited for the court to resume sitting as the judge had fixed hearing for Monday 12 August, a federal holiday for the Eid celebrations.
Hon. Ubandoma Joshua Laven had contested as a PDP candidate in the 2010 Local Government Election for the Chairmanship of Langtang North Local Government Area, losing to Kparnim Amos Nanloh of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Laven challenged the outcome of the poll at the Local Government Election Tribunal and lost, yet proceeded to the Appeal Tribunal where his mandate was restored.
But the APC candidate, Kparnim Amos Nanloh, challenged the ruling of the Local Government Appeal Tribunal at the State High Court, Jos, where he obtained an injunction restraining PLASIEC and Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong from issuing Laven a certificate of return and performing an oath of office, respectively.
Nanzim Bako, speaking to journalists at the premises of the State High Court, said the Local Government Appeal Tribunal is the final bus stop for Local Government Election matters as enshrined in the PLASIEC Law 2016.
“The State High Court does not have the legal right to hear LocL Government Election matters. We want the interim injunction granted by Justice Nafisatu Musa to be reverted for PLASIEC to issue certificate of return to Ubandoma Joshua Laven to enable the Governor swear him into office.
“We are aware of the public holiday but because the hearing was fixed for today, we came to see what will happen because we are convince that the State High Court has no right to entertain this matter,” he said.
Counsel to Laven, Niri Darong, had written to demand that his client and the PDP would be served with a Motion on Notice and Originating Motion before the interim order was granted which they are yet to serve.
Darong, Esq., in his notice of preliminary objection, filed on August 7, 2019 sought reliefs for an order striking out the Applicant’s Motion on Notice dated 31 July, 2019 but filed on 2 August, 2019 for want of jurisdiction in the court to entertain same.
“As order setting aside all the orders of this Honourable Court made in this matter on the 25 July, 2019, granting the Applicant leave to apply for an order of certiorari; restraining the Governor of Plateau State, PLASIEC and Ubandoma Joshua Laven from giving effect to the final Judgement of the Plateau State Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal,” the notice stated.
