Plateau Tribunal Panel Responds to Bribery Allegation: "Each Case Has Different Backgrounds"

• The Plateau national and state houses of assembly elections petitions tribunal recently nullified the election of at least three lawmakers in the state
• The judgements stirred a hornet’s nest as the people, who have rejected most of the tribunal judgments, are alleging serious political interference
• The justices involved in the cases have broken their silence, and they are not happy with social media insinuations

Jos, Plateau state - The chairman of panel 1 of the national and state assembly election petitions in Jos, Plateau state, Justice Muhammad Tukur, has responded to social media criticisms.

Justices O. Adetujeye and Omaka Elekwa were among Tukur’s panel. The team worked on all the petitions filed against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) parliamentary candidates in the 2023 general elections. The panel ruled in favour of opposition parties that emerged second at the polls, Daily Trust reported on Sunday, October 1.

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Tribunal: Justices frown at comments against panel

The PDP candidates had rejected the tribunal's verdicts and filed appeals. Some Nigerians on social media also accused the judges of taking bribes to rule against the PDP.

Responding, the judge pointed out that each case had different backgrounds.

His words:

“In Kaduna (2021 by-election), we used the 2010 electoral act, while that of Plateau we used the 2022 electoral act. Each case has different backgrounds."

Tell clients the truth, Elekwa tells lawyers

Justice Omaka Elekwa, also a member of the panel, urged lawyers to always tell their clients what happened at the tribunal, Blueprint newspaper reported.

She said:

“Always tell your clients the truth. Tell them what really happened at the tribunal and not what they hear from others or read on the social media.”

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“Confidently floating in stream of doubt”: Shehu Sani reacts to “confusing” Kaduna tribunal verdict

Tribunal sacks House of Assembly speaker

In related news, Legit.ng reported that the Plateau House of Assembly election petition tribunal sacked Moses Sule, the state's speaker.

Sule was sacked alongside another member of the house, Danjuma Azi, representing Plateau West State constituency in the State House of Assembly. Sule and Azi were members of the PDP.

Tribunal sacks PDP lawmaker

Legit.ng also reported that the tribunal sacked Timothy Dantong of the PDP in the March 18 State House of Assembly election.

The tribunal subsequently declared Moses Dachum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Riyom state constituency election winner.

Tribunal declares APC, LP winners in Plateau

In another related news, Legit.ng reported that the tribunal sacked three lawmakers of the PDP in Plateau state.

The sacked lawmakers are Remvyat Nanbol, Agbalak Adukuchill, and Happiness Akawu, representing Langtang Central, Rukuba/Iregwe and Pengana constituencies in the state parliament.

Source: Legit.ng