The 16 members of the Plateau House of Assembly, who were ousted by the Court of Appeal in November last year, have announced their intention to resume legislative duties on Tuesday.
Briefing newsmen in Jos, the lawmakers, originally elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed that they considered the recent Supreme Court judgment on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election as a precedent for their case.
The Court of Appeal had nullified their election, citing a lack of party structure within the PDP.
This decision also affected federal lawmakers from the state, leading to re-run elections scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for February 3.
Interestingly, Governor Mutfwang faced a similar fate but saw his dismissal overturned by the Supreme Court on January 12, highlighting an error in the lower court’s judgment.
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the ousted legislators asserted that they were merely on recess during this period and, based on the apex court’s decision, claimed their election nullification was in error.
The spokesperson for the group, Ishaku Maren, emphasized their democratic legitimacy, asserting that they were duly elected by the majority of votes in their respective constituencies.
