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| Joshua Lanven |
The inability of the Plateau State government to swear-in Joshua Lanven of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as elected chairman of Langtang North Local government of the state is generating tension capable of disrupting peace in the locality.
Council elections were held in December 2018, results were declared and aggrieved parties approached the election tribunal for redress.
The appeal tribunal in its judgement in July 2019 held that the PDP candidate was the true winner of the election and ordered for the swearing in of the winner.
The appeal tribunal stressed that Nanlok Amos of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was wrongly declared winner of the election by the state electoral commission and that the rightful winner is Laven of the PDP.
While Laven was waiting to be sworn in, the ruling APC instituted a fresh suit at a Jos court, stopping the state government from carrying out the order of the appeal tribunal.
The instituting of a fresh case in a lower court after an appeal court of superior status has passed its judgement left people of the locality in shock and disbelief.
They view it as a calculated effort by the ruling party, APC, to deny them their right to elect their leader.
While staging a peaceful protest in Jos yesterday, a group of youths known as “Taroh Concern Youths for Justice and Good Governance” said the masses in Langtang North who voted for Laven as their leader are becoming impatient over the prolonged legal tussle.
The group noted that tension is rising in the locality over what they term political conspiracy by the ruling APC to hoodwink and rob them of their choice leader.
The group, led by its national president, Comrade Manasseh Telzing, said it is worrisome that “Hon. Nanlok Amos Kparnim and the APC instituted case at the High Court of Justice in Jos against the position of the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal Court,” which is the highest court to handle local government election matters in the country.
He said, “As concerned young people, we are appealing to Governor Simon Lalong and the All Progressive Congress (APC) to respect the position of the appeal tribunal as history would always be unfair to them.
“Our kind plea is to our father, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong, to prevail on Hon. Nanlok Amos Kparnim and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to accept the decision of the Plateau State Election Petition Appeal Tribunal, which is the final adjudication body or apex court regarding local government elections in Nigeria as delivered on the 19th of July, 2019, which declared and returned Ubadndoma Joshua Laven as the duly elected Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Council, by taking on the path of honour in discontinuing the certiorari proceedings instituted at the High Court of Justice Jos.”
Telzing maintained that the upheaval in the local government can be resolved amicably out of court to give room for good governance.
