Appeal Court sacks Senate Minority leader, orders fresh election

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has nullified the election of the Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, in the February 25, 2023 senatorial election in the Plateau North Senatorial District.

A three-member appeal panel ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to, within 90 days, conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district.

The court gave the verdict while ruling on the appeal filed by Chris Giwa of the All Progressives Congress and Gyang Zi of the Labour Party.

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Mr Giwa and Mr Zi had appealed against the judgment of the election petitions tribunal in Jos, Plateau State which affirmed Mr Mwadkwon of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the senatorial poll.

The appellants had contended that Mr Mwadkwon was not qualified to stand for an election as his party, the PDP, which nominated him during the election, had no structure to do so, having not complied with an earlier high court order for the party to conduct a proper state congress.

Justice E. Daudu, who read the lead judgment of the appellate court, held that the high court order was not fully complied with by the PDP as 12 LGAs didn’t participate in the said congress.