Sixteen former members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, removed from office last November, have launched a fresh legal battle to reclaim their seats.
The ousted lawmakers, all belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have approached the Court of Appeal, arguing that a recent Supreme Court decision on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election renders their disqualifications void.
The Court of Appeal had previously 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.
Their legal team, headed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Garba Paul, filed motions seeking to overturn the November ruling and reinstate them 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, the Speaker of the House, Gabriel Dewan Kudagbena, has yet to swear in the APC members who benefited from the Court of Appeal’s judgment, citing conflicting court orders.
