Useni Files Petition Against Lalong’s Declaration As Plateau State Gov, Wants Rerun
The Oasis Reporters
April 14, 2019
By Moses Gbande, Jos
The Plateau State People’s Democratic Party, PDP Campaign Council says its gubernatorial candidate, Senator Jeremiah Timbut Useni has successfully filed his petition at the governorship elections tribunal in Jos.
Chairman, Media and Publicity Yiljap Abraham in a statement on Sunday 14th April, 2019 said he, Useni wants the Tribunal to consider that the declaration of Simon Bako Lalong by INEC as the winner of the governorship elections of March 9th and 23rd, 2019 is “unlawful, undue, null and void, and of no effect.”
“The petition is served against Simon Bako Lalong, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Senator Useni, together with the People’s Democratic Party is praying the tribunal to nullify Lalong’s return and to order INEC to withdraw his Certificate of Return.
‘The petition points out that the PDP candidate was “duly and validly elected and ought to be returned as the winner of the governorship election in Plateau State, having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast…and having satisfied the constitutional requirements of the said election.”
“It therefore wants the tribunal to order INEC to issue Senator Useni with a Certificate of Return as the duly elected governor of Plateau State.
“However, Senator Useni’s petition also provides for alternatives.
“The first is that the tribunal declare that Simon Bako Lalong is disqualified from contesting the election of the office of Governor “having deliberately provided false information about himself” to INEC and worldwide when he filed in his documents to contest the governorship election.
‘The second is that the tribunal order a re-run of the governorship election in which both Simon Bako Lalong and APC are excluded from participating.
“Thirdly, the petitioner seeks the tribunal to nullify the governorship election conducted in all the polling units complained about and to order INEC to conduct fresh election in those particular polling units.
‘And although Useni ‘s petition has been successfully entered, there is no date yet appointed and communicated for the inaugural seating of the three-member tribunal under the chairmanship of Hon. Justice H.A Saleeman.
“To get to this point, Useni’s team of lawyers had successfully beaten off a challenging and potentially frustrating attitude by INEC to allow them access to and inspect all polling documents as ordered by judges of the tribunal on April 2, 2019.
“The PDP candidate had also beefed up his legal team which is expected to put up a successful challenge at the tribunal”.
Meantime, the PDP legal team has been working assiduously on responding to National and State House of Assembly petitions served against the party and its candidates by the ruling party as well as countering responses against PDP petitions.
