- The Court of Appeal in Abuja dismisses a fresh lawsuit by 16 Plateau PDP lawmakers, ordering them to pay N8 million
- The justices led by J.O.K. Oyewole deem the lawsuit baseless, upholding the previous ruling nullifying the lawmakers’ positions
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has rejected a fresh lawsuit by the 16 Plateau Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, who were previously ousted by the same court in November of last year.
Following their unsuccessful attempts to reclaim their seats at the state House of Assembly, subsequent to the Supreme Court’s confirmation of Governor Caleb Muftwang’s election victory, the ousted lawmakers sought a review of the judgment that led to their dismissal.
However, the appellate court, presided over by justices led by J.O.K. Oyewole, deemed the new lawsuit baseless and devoid of merit. Consequently, each of the 16 applicants has been ordered to pay N8 million to the respondents, resulting in a collective fine of N128 million.
This decision stems from the Court of Appeal’s previous ruling, which nullified the lawmakers’ positions on the grounds of their party’s structural deficiencies, rendering it incapable of fielding candidates in an election. The court consequently declared the runners-up in the elections as rightful candidates.
Justice J.O.K. Oyewole, after considering the arguments presented, dismissed the motions for lacking substance, labeling the lawsuit as a misuse of judicial resources.
Reportedly, Gabriel Daweng, the Speaker of the state assembly, declined to swear in the 16 All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party members as lawmakers on January 23. Daweng cited receipt of court documents and advised them to await the court’s decision before taking further action.
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