Photo: Dr Patrick Dakum, Plateau LP governorship candidate
Breaking: S’Court declares Dakum authentic Plateau LP governorship candidate
The Supreme Court on Wednesday in Abuja declared Dr Patrick Dakum the authentic Plateau State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial and state assembly elections.
Delivering judgment, Justice John Inyang Okoro dismissed the appeal filed by Amb Yohanna Margif, LP’s governorship aspirant in Plateau State, challenging Dakum’s nomination as the party’s candidate.
The apex court’s decision followed Margif’s dramatic withdrawal after realizing that the matter had become statute barred, that is, the time for the matter to be heard had lapsed.
Pre-election cases are statutorily required to be heard and determined within 180 days beginning from the time such a suit is filed at the Federal High Court to its terminal point at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s judgment has finally laid to rest Margif’s prolonged legal battle to “reclaim” the LP ticket from Dakum after allegedly initially resigning and relinquishing his candidacy but later denied doing so.
Margif had earlier commenced the legal battle at the Federal High Court, Jos, where he contended that he had won the governorship primary election of the party but his name was illegally substituted, adding that never withdrew his nomination as alleged by his party.
But LP had in its submission countered the appellant’s submission, arguing that following Margif’s withdrawal, a fresh primary election was conducted in which Dakum emerged as the party’s governorship candidate and his name was duly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Delivering judgment on December 9, 2022, Justice Dorcas Agishi had declared Dakum the party’s legitimate candidate and upheld LP’s submission that Margif had voluntarily withdrawn his candidacy and copied same in a letter which was copied to INEC.
Justice Agishi had held that the appellant had signed an affidavit to withdraw voluntarily as the governorship candidate of the party which necessitated the party’s conducting of fresh primary election which culminated in Dakum’s emergence as LP’s governorship candidate.
However, not satisfied with the High Court’s decision, the appellant thereafter proceeded to the Court of Appeal where he lost again and subsequently approached the Supreme Court for final decision, where he again lost finally.
Earlier in his brief before the apex court, Margif’s lawyer, Mr Opeyemi Ojo, had prayed the court to invoke Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to take over the matter and resolve all disputed issues in the interest of justice to his client.
However the court refused to grant his prayer on the ground that conditions precedent for the Court to invoke Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act were not met.
Periscope International reports that Dr Dakum is one of the leading contenders for Gov Simon Lalong’s seat ahead of Saturday’s governorship polls in a three-horse race, which includes Dr Nentawe Yilwatda of the ruling APC and Mr Caleb Mutfwang of PDP.
Although Dakum’s LP won the February 25 presidential election in Plateau State by garnering the highest number of votes, pundits project the PDP candidate to win, especially with PDP having won the state’s two senate seats which have so far been announced, as well as five out of eight Reps seats.
