Tribunal sacks Plateau assembly speaker

The election petition tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State capital, on Friday, sacked the speaker of the state house of assembly, Hon Moses Sule.

The speaker, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was sacked alongside Danjuma Azi, member representing Jos North West constituency in the assembly.

The tribunal, however, declared the former majority leader of the house, Hon. Naanlong Daniel and Hon. Mark Na’ah, all of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as winners of March 18 election.

The petitioner had challenged the sponsorship of the Sule and Azi on the grounds that the PDP was not qualified to participate in the election for lack of party structure.

Delivering the judgment, the tribunal led by Muhammad Tukur said PDP was not qualified to sponsor the respondents for the election.

He held that as the party did not have structure, “nothing can stand on nothing”.

The tribunal further held that the PDP disobeyed the order of Justice S P Gang of Plateau State High Court delivered on November 26, 2020 which ordered the party to conduct ward congresses.

Justice Tukur said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to tendered any authentic document that showed there was repeated congress by the party in 2021, as claimed by the respondents.

Tukur-led panel had sacked two PDP lawmakers of the state assembly, on Thursday.