Gyang Bere, Jos
Plateau State Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd) has appealed the judgement of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered by Justice Halima Salami, insisting that Lalong was not qualified to contest the election.
Justice Salami had in a ruling on the 2nd of October dismissed Useni’s petition for lacking merit, but Useni has appealed the judgement, claiming that Lalong was not qualified to contest the election and that the there were vote mutilations and cancellations in PDP dominated areas.
In a statement signed by Useni’s media consultant, Yiljap Abraham, the legal team of Useni led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and Edward Pwajok, SAN and ten others have filed notice of appeal and formulated 21 grounds of appeal.
The statement reads:
“Plateau PDP Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2019 election, Lt. Gen. (retd), Sen. Jeremiah Timbut Useni has approached the Court of Appeal challenging the judgement of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered on October 2nd, 2019.
“Useni’s legal team, led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and Edward Pwajok, SAN, with Benson Igbanoi, Chief Sunday-Gabriel Odey and ten other legal experts, has filed the notice of appeal and formulated 21 grounds of appeal to overturn the verdict of the tribunal dismissing his petition.
“Specifically, General Useni and the PDP are maintaining that Simon Bako Lalong was not qualified in the first place to have contested for election into the office of Governor of Plateau State because he supplied false information to INEC in his form CF100.”
Useni’s legal experts point out that “the inescapable conclusion that ought to be reached by the Tribunal is that the 2nd Respondent is not qualified to contest election into the office of Governor.” Instead, the Learned Tribunal “clearly somersaulted in arriving at its decision which was at odds with its findings and this occasioned a miscarriage of justice.”
They also want an order declaring that the 2nd respondent was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the election into the office of Governor of Plateau State and that the declaration and return of the 2nd Respondent by the 1st respondent as the winner of the election is unlawful, undue, null, void and of no effect.
On his part, PDP Candidate of Plateau Central David Shikfu Parradang has also appealed the ruling of the National Assembly Tribunal that nullified his election.
Parradang, in a statement in Jos on Monday, said his mandate will be restore in the interest of the people.
“Shall we allow the rule of force to go unchallenged? Shall we just give up on the precious mandate of our people? What will our children say to all these, that we gave in at their threats and force? We say no! We have challenged this, and we will not succumb to fear,” he declared.
“The Plateau spirit is fearless especially in the face of injustice. Injustice to one is injustice to all. Let me assure our party faithfuls and all those who have been calling and praying for our mandate to be restored that we cannot thank you enough and that this will end in victory.
“Each time I close my eyes in meditation I recall the faces of our people from Bokkos to Kanam, from Mangu to Kanke and Pankshin who are eager for good representation and assure them that I will not carelessly throw away the baton of the mandate they cheerfully gave me.”