LALONG vs SEN. BALI: PDP MAY HAVE FORWARDED THE NAME OF NAPOLEON BALI TO INEC, ILLEGALLY. WITNESS, NIMMYEL NANKPAK, TELLS TRIBUNAL

By: Valentine Adese (JP),

As the hearing of the Petition filed by Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, who is challenging the victory of Sen. Napoleon Bali and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues at the National/State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Jos Plateau State, a witness has maintained that, the name of Sen. Bali may have been forwarded to INEC “illegally”.

The Petitioners witness, Nimmyel Nankpak, under Cross examination by Counsel to the 1^st Respondent (INEC) in part told the Tribunal that, “I am aware that, PDP is a registered political party. It is also true that, the PDP submitted/forwarded the name of Napoleon Bali to INEC as its senatorial candidate, but illegally. Before the general elections, INEC published names, but I was surprised, knowing that, PDP which has no structure is forwarding names. However, I am not aware of anybody, who filed a case in Court challenging this.

Also under Cross-examination from the Counsel to the 2^nd Respondent (Sen. Bali), Nimmyel disclosed that, he could not renew his membership card of the PDP because, “There is no structure for me to get the renewal for 2023 because there is no EXCO. I am a financial member of the PDP as I speak”.

Nimmyel, in answering Cross-examination questions from the Counsel to the 3^rd Respondent, told the Tribunal that, “I took Oath to testify in this petition even though I have not read it. My complaint is about the No Structure of the party. The Judgments stopped Bali because the party in Plateau State has no structure. It is also true that Bali was not a party in the suit between Kaze and the PDP.

“I contested to be the Chairman of Langtang North and this was before the Judgments. I have never identified with any other political party apart from PDP”.

Earlier, during Examination-in-Chief, led by the Counsel to the Petitioners, S.S. Obende (Esq), Nimmyel had told the Tribunal in part that, he lives in Langtang North and that he made his witness statement on Oath on the 7^th of May, 2023 and he made reference to the fact that he is a card carrying member of the PDP.

“I was an Aspirant for the Chairmanship seat of Langtang North local Government Area of Plateau State. I have my I.D. Card with me here and a photocopy of my nomination form for the Chairmanship. But the Original is not here”. He stated.

The matter has been adjourned by the Tribunal to Saturday, the 15^th of July, 2023, for further hearing.