The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Jos, Plateau State, has declared former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who ran as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the rightful winner of the Plateau South senatorial district election.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Mahmoud Tukur, determined that the votes received by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Napoleon Bali, during the February 25 election were considered invalid because of an improper nomination process.
Furthermore, it was found that the PDP lacked a valid structure in the state at the time of Bali’s nomination.
Additionally, the tribunal dismissed claims of over-voting and electoral law non-compliance, stating that the petitioners failed to substantiate these allegations.
In a similar vein, the PDP also lost the Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency seat to the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dalyop Chollom.
The tribunal ruled that Peter Gyenden of the PDP was not validly nominated due to his party’s lack of a valid structure in the state at the time of his nomination.
