Sixteen former members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, who were removed from office last November, are now fighting to reclaim their seats through a fresh legal battle. All the ousted lawmakers belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and have approached the Court of Appeal. They are arguing that a recent Supreme Court decision on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election renders their disqualifications void.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal had thrown out the entire PDP slate in the Assembly citing irregularities in the party’s internal structure. However, the former legislators, led by Bala Fwanje Ndat and Datugun Paul Naankot, argue that the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of Governor Mutfwang, who faced a similar challenge based on party structure, effectively clears their names.
The legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Garba Paul, has filed motions seeking to overturn the November ruling and reinstate the former lawmakers to the House. They contend that both the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal overstepped their jurisdiction and that the original judgement was “a nullity.”
Currently, Speaker of the House Gabriel Dewan Kudagbena has not yet sworn in the APC members who benefited from the Court of Appeal’s judgment, citing conflicting court orders.