Yakubu Busari
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos the Plateau state capital on Wednesday upheld the election of Governor Simon Lalong of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Peoples Democratic Party PDP and its candidate Senator Jeremiah Useni had filed a petition against Lalong in the March governorship election in Plateau state.
The former FCT minister, Lt General Useni and his party, PDP had challenged the declaration of Lalong by INEC as the winner of the March governorship election in Plateau State.
However, on the issue of Lalong qualification to contest for the election, the tribunal held the governor is overqualified and he didn’t present a fake certificate on oath.
It was revealed that the Governor Simon Lalong also presented certificates bearing different names as alleged by the petitioners and the certificate of which the tribunal held that the petitioners did not move further to substantiate their claim or prove of evidence.
Adding that since he obtained his WAEC examination in 1982 the same certificate was used in gaining admission to SPS Keffi, present Nasarawa state and ABU Zaria were he bagged the first BSC in Law to a second degree as he stated Lalong the second respondent is the owner of the certificate because nobody has come to contest it.
The tribunal held and resolved that the second respondent Lalong is the owner of the certificate and all the 4 different names are linked to him
According to the electoral act, to contest for an election you must have up to secondary results, which is the minimum qualification, and the second respondent qualified and he’s, therefore, qualified to contest for an election.
PDP said they are heading to the Appeal Court to challenge the tribunal victory in the appeal court.
