Plateau State chapter of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) has urged Governor Jonah Jang to comply with the judgement of the Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal and to immediately swear in Hon. Dan Dul as the chairman of Langtang North local government area.
It would be recalled that the appeal tribunal has ruled that Hon. Dul is the duly elected chairman of the council and order the state government to immediately swear him in as the chairman of Langtang North.
DPP in a press statement issued by the state secretary, Thomas Nanfa Dindam and made available to newsmen in Jos said they were constrained to join their voices to address the deliberate attempt by the Plateau State government to misled the citizens of the state saying this new effort to misled is made in order to hoodwink the populace.
The statement reads in part,” Our attention has been drawn to the latest attempt by the Plateau State government to continually perpetuate injustice on the people of Langtang north council. We also condemn the statement by Olivia Dazyam, commissioner for information, that Nanmwa Kumzhi is still the substantive chairman of Langtang North LGC in view of the fact that there is an appeal in respect of the judgement of the appeal tribunal.”DPP further challenged the commissioner to disclose the particulars of the appeal lodged against the judgement of the appeal tribunal, “We as parties to the proceedings of the election petition and the appeal tribunal are bound to be parties to a subsequent appeal.
According to the statement DPP has conducted necessary investigation at the registering of the court of appeal Jos, the Plateau high court, federal high court, customary court of appeal, the Sharia court of appeal and the national industrial court and can confirmed that there is no appeal lodge by any party or person nor is any appeal pending against the judgment of the state local appeal tribunal anywhere whatsoever.
They added that the State presently has no Attorney General and commissioner of justice lamenting that the state government has failed to abide by the expressed provisions of the plateau state government independent electoral commission law, 2011 which makes the judgment of the LG election appeal tribunal final.
It further stated “the plateau state governor Jonah Jang who has signed the said law, and has refuse to comply with the provisions of the law adding that the statement by the commissioner that Godwin kumzhi remains the substantive Chairman of Langtant North LGC is a clear disregard of the order and function of the judiciary.’
DPP averred that plateau State is attempting to over rule the decisions of the appeal tribunal and indicative of their desire not to respect the decision of the appeal tribunal stressing that the invitation to the corporate organizations and individuals to co-operate with the leadership of Nanmwa Kumzhi dspite the judgment clearly shows that the government is supporting illegality.
As a political party and mindful of the fact that the commissioner is a legal practitioner, we shall in due course make a formal complain to the relevant judicial authorities and the Nigeria Bar Association, if lawyers choose to denigrate the judicial powers of the courts, then this democratic dispensation is at risk.”
