The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives is urging the imposition of sanctions on Appeal Court justices responsible for the ousting of Plateau lawmakers. Minority Leader of the House of Reps, Chinda Kingsley, made this demand in a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja.
Kingsley emphasized the need to reprimand the justices who handled the case, asserting that such disciplinary actions would serve as a deterrent to other judges contemplating a similar course of action in the future. The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja in November 2023, removed 16 members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Plateau State House of Assembly over pre-election matters, citing alleged disobedience of a court order and lack of political structure.
Prior to this, the appeal court had also sacked four PDP members from the House of Representatives and two senators from the state. Kingsley extended congratulations to opposition parties on the Supreme Court’s judgment that reinstated and upheld the victories of opposition governors, including Dr. Alex Otti of Abia, Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sen. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Alhaji Abba Yusuf of Kano State, Mr. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, and Mr. Lawal Daudu of Zamfara State.
Kingsley commended the Supreme Court justices for safeguarding the integrity of voters’ decisions in these states, stating that it has renewed Nigerians’ faith in the judiciary as the last resort for the common man. He highlighted the resonance of these victories not only with opposition parties but also with the citizens who massively voted for the PDP, Labour Party, and the New Nigeria People’s Party in those states.
The Minority Leader stressed the necessity of reviewing decisions from the Court of Appeal regarding State Houses of Assembly and National Assembly elections in Plateau, which led to the removal of numerous PDP legislators on questionable grounds. Although acknowledging the inability to appeal these decisions due to their severe miscarriage of justice, Kingsley insisted that reprimanding the justices involved is crucial to discourage similar actions by future judges. Additionally, he expressed the caucus’s commendation for the ruling party governors who were re-elected, urging them to prioritize the country’s welfare over personal interests.
Quest: Cris-Edesiri Odjomah