The Court of Appeal sitting in Jos has, this day 1st July, 2022, sacked Bitrus Zulfa Rimven as Chairman, Langtang North L.G.C.

You will recall that following the judgement of the Plateau State High Court of Justice sitting in Langtang on the 13th day of December, 2021 in Suit No. PLD/L7CV/2021 which was instituted by Hon. Nankar Napoleon Shagaya against the APC, Zulfa and PLASIEC, in which the High Court nullified the candidature of Bitrus Zulfa Rimven and pronounced that he was never elected as Chairman of Langtang North L.G.C, Zulfa had filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the propriety of the judgement of the High Court.

In a considered judgement delivered for about 4 hours today, the three justices of the Court of Appeal unanimously (meaning all the three justices were in agreement) dismissed the appeal filed by Zulfa for lacking in merit.

The Court while dismissing the Appellant’s appeal commended the erudite judgement delivered by the Honourable Justice N.K Sasheet of the High Court of Justice of Plateau State sitting in Langtang and reasoned that the soundness of the judgment could not be assailed and therefore cannot be tampered with by the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal re-iterated the orders of the High Court which include, among others, the nullification of the candidacy of Bitrus Zulfa Rimven and the order to the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to withdraw the purported Certificate of Return it issued to Zulfa as the winner of the chairmanship election for Langtang North.

Further more, their Lordships in their wisdom awarded a cost of N250,000 Naira against Zulfa and in favour of Hon. Nankar Napoleon Shagaya to mitigate the financial burden the latter has been made to go through as a result of the unmeritorious appeal filed by Zulfa.

While we congratulate the judiciary for stepping in to salvage our democracy once again, may we salute the courage of Hon. Nankar Shagaya for approaching the court to assert his right as well as standing tall throughout the period of the struggle for justice.

May we also salute the Tarok electorates who have never hidden their love and support for this legal venture; your prayers and well wishes in various respects have kept us going. We can’t thank you enough!

To the slaves of impunity, we say to you that no matter how long a night may seem to last, daybreak must come. The end is in sight and, as you will have witnessed in the political landscape, your impunity has boomeranged as you have completely lost the political grip you had erroneously thought such dastardly act would deliver to you guys.

As a legal team, we hereby applaud Hon. Nankar Shagaya for trusting us with a sensitive case of this nature which we have delivered with such aplomb to glory of the Almighty God. For L.T Dangle Esq., N.A Dashe Esq., and a host of others who have contributed in one way or the other throughout this legal battle, I salute you. At least, we shall stand to be counted among the few honorable men who refused to be browbeaten into hobnobbing with impunity by the so- called high and mighty. Well, I say no more!

We were in this for service and the attainment of Justice, and not for any pecuniary benefits, and so shall we remain! We are equally resolutely determined to continue to employ the instrumentality of the law even beyond May 29, 2023 to hold to account any illegal occupant of public office and we shall see to it that all financial benefits that will have accrued to any such person are returned to the public coffers.

It was Alexander the Great who once said: “There is nothing impossible to he that will try.”

Thank you all!
Signed:
Prince Singa Edward Zhattau,
Lead Counsel to Hon. Nankar Shagaya

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Appeal Court Jos Sacks Hon. Bitrus Zulfa Rimven as Chairman Langtang North LGC