The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday, sacked 11 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the Plateau state assembly.
In a unanimous decision, the panel led by Justice Okon Abang, held that all the sacked lawmakers scored wasted votes at the time of the March 2023 general election because their party lacked structure.
The appeal court held that the PDP violated section 177 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that the PDP structure in Plateau collapsed since 2020, and therefore the party cannot claim to have a structure to sponsor any candidate to contest an election.
The Court after rendering the votes by the PDP candidates as a waste and unlawful, declared all the second runners up in the March 18 elections as winners having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast in the election.
Those sacked are; Hon Timothy Dantong (Riyom), Hon. Rimyat Nanbol,- (Langtang North Central), Moses Sule (Mikang), Salome Waklek,-Pankshin, Hon. Bala Fwangji (Mangu South), Hon. Maren Ishaku (Bokkos), Hon. Dagogot (Quaanpan North) and Nannim Langyi,-(Langtang North North).
Others are Nimchak Rims (Langtang South) Hon. Danjuma Azi (Jos North West) Gwottson Fom (Jos South) and Hon. Abubakar Sani idris (Mangu North) respectively.
Following the sack of all PDP Lawmakers in the Plateau State House of Assembly, the APC now boasts of a majority in the state assembly with 22 seats. This is coming weeks after the Appeal Court also sacked all PDP NASS members in Plateau State on account of disobedience to the 2020 Court order by the PDP to conduct fresh congresses.
The Court of Appeal also few days ago sacked the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Muftwang after it held that he was not qualified to contest the governorship election in the first place following the PDP disobedience to a subsisting court order. Caleb Muftwang has since lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the judgment of the Appeal Court.