JOS, Plateau -                    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Kparnim Nanloh-Amos, who was declared elected chairman of Langtang North Local Government of Plateau has been asked to vacate office, after the Plateau State Election Appeal Tribunal on Friday, declared Mr. Ubandoman Joshua-Laven, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful elected chairman.

Nanloh-Amos’ role was reversed as Justice Arum Ashom, Chairman of the tribunal, made the declaration following an over eight hours’ judgment on the appeal filed before it by PDP candidate Joshua-Laven.

Report had it earlier that Joshua-Laven had approached the Appeal Tribunal, and urged it to declare him winner having polled the highest votes in the election.

The Election Petition Tribunal led by Jovita Binjin had, in a six-hour judgment, on May 25, dismissed Joshua -Laven and PDP’s petition for lack of merit.

While delivering his judgment on Friday, Justice Ashom upheld Joshua-Laven’s petition saying that “the lower tribunal erred when it dismissed PDP and Ubandoma’s petition on May 25.”

The judge ruled that “With Ubandoma Joshua-Laven of PDP having scored 19,599 as against 14,708 votes of his APC counterpart, Mr. Kparnim Nanloh-Amos, the PDP candidate met the required votes according to the law and is hereby declared winner and returned elected.

“Consequently, PLASIEC is hereby ordered to issue the appellant, Mr Ubandoma Joshua-Laven of PDP, with certificate of return, as the duly elected chairman of Langtang North Local Government.