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Appeal Court Nullifies Senator Mwadkwon’s Election, Orders Rerun in Plateau North Senatorial District

Published

6 months ago

October 22, 2023

Stella Charles Akupue

Appeal Court Nullifies Senator Mwadkwon's Election, Orders Rerun in Plateau North Senatorial District

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has delivered a landmark ruling, nullifying the election of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon. This decision, announced on Sunday, was grounded in the court’s finding that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had not duly nominated Mwadkwon as its candidate, leading to the declaration of his election as null and void.

Consequently, the court has ordered a rerun election within the next 90 days to determine the new representative for the Plateau North Senatorial District. The ruling was based on the revelation that the PDP had not fully adhered to the provisions of the Electoral Act, as twelve Local Government Areas (LGA) failed to participate in the party’s organized congress.

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The court further emphasized that non-compliance with a subsisting court order significantly influenced the decision. Stressing the paramount importance of upholding due process, the court-mandated a fresh election for the Plateau North Senatorial seat, effectively barring the PDP from participating in the rerun elections, as declared by the appeal court.

This verdict marks the culmination of a legal battle that involved Gyang Yaya Zi and the Labour Party (LP) as the 1st and 2nd Appellants, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mwadkwon, and the PDP as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondents. As the case concludes, the political landscape in the Plateau North Senatorial District is set for significant changes in the upcoming rerun election.