By Golok Nanmwa, Jos
Plateau State Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal sitting in Jos the Plateau state capital has ordered for the hearing of a chairmanship petition of Ubandoma Joshua Laven of the People Democratic Party (PDP) on merit by the Plateau State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal
Chairman of the Appellate Tribunal, Justice Arum Ashom gave the order in a judgement in the appeal of Ubandoma Joshua Laven and Peoples Democratic Party against Kwarnim Nanloh of the All Progressive Congress and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission.
Our correspondent recalled that upon the conduct of the 10/10/18 councillorship and local government chairmanship elections by Plateau state independent electoral commission PLASIEC and subsequent returned of Kwarnim Nanloh of APC as chairman of Langtang North, Ubandoma Joshua Laven, and PDP approached the tribunal seeking for redress.
However, through preliminary objections and motions on notices, counsel to the respondents challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to hear the petition on grounds of it being incompetent, statute barred and filed out of time.
Deciding on the objections raised, the tribunal chaired by Jovita Binjim with Jacob Longden and Isaiah Randa as members, in its wisdom struct out the petition which prompted the petitioners to file an appeal against that decision.
The ground for the appeal was for the Appeal Tribunal to determined whether they were heard on merit, if they were giving rights to a fair hearing when the tribunal refused to use the two sets of results of the election presented before it and if the date for the declaration of the results were not wrongly calculated
Deciding on the four issues raised, the Appeal Tribunal with Justice Arum Ashom as chairman with Nankwat Shaseet and Martin Omohwo as members while resolving the four grounds for the appeal in favour of the appellants, said the appeal succeeds as there was a miscarriage of Justice by the lower tribunal.
It also set aside the ruling of the tribunal on 14/1/19 that dismissed the petition of the petitioners, the Chairman of the appeal Tribunal pointed out that arriving at that decision could not have arisen if the lower tribunal had looked at the witnessed statement of Kwarnim Nanloh which adduce to the fact that results were announced on 16/10/18 instead of 10/10/18 as alluded to.
However, subsequently, the Appeal Tribunal chairman, Justice Are Ashom ordered the petition to return to the trial tribunal to be heard base on merit.
Speaking to newsmen on the development Ubandoma Joshua Laven said it is a victory for the good people of Langtang North local government council as the judiciary is the last hope for the common man in the country.
According to him, this will strengthen democracy and the rule of law adding that the good people of Langtang North local government council unanimously voted him and were demoralized when PLASIEC refuse to declare him the winner of the election.
He pointed out that with the appeal tribunal ordering that his petition is returned to the trial tribunal to be heard base on merit, they will be light at the end of the tunnel. Laven said.
