Plateau North: Major Setback as Appeal Court Nullifies Senate Minority Leader’s Victory, Orders Rerun

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has rendered a verdict nullifying the electoral victory of Senator Simon Mwadkwon, who currently serves as the Senate Minority Leader representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the National Assembly. In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel led by Justice Daudu Williams declared that Senator Mwadkwon’s nomination by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was invalid.

The panel’s ruling was based on their assessment that the PDP failed to fully comply with court orders, particularly pertaining to the congress, in which 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) did not participate. This non-compliance raised significant concerns about the validity of Senator Mwadkwon’s nomination.

Furthermore, the Court of Appeal ordered a rerun election for the Plateau North Senatorial seat, which is to be conducted within the next 90 days. The decision was influenced by the PDP’s failure to adhere to a court order issued by the Plateau State High Court in 2020, which mandated the party to conduct a congress before making nominations.

In a related development, the panel at the Appellate court, led by Justice Okon Abang, also nullified the electoral victory of Musa Avia, a member of the PDP, who represents Bassa North in the House of Representatives.