Jos — The Plateau State Local Government Elections Appeal Tribunal has confirmed the removal of the Chairman of Mikang Local Government Area, Mr. Innocent Tisel as the valid candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for last year’s council election.

The appellate tribunal, headed by Justice Yargata Nimpar has, therefore, ordered Mr. Daniel Kungmi to be sworn-in immediately, declaring him as the duly nominated candidate of the party for the election.

The lower tribunal had passed a similar verdict declaring Kungmi as the duly elected chairman for the local government, declaring null and void his substitution as the PDP candidate for the election.

Kungmi had challenged his substitution by his party after emerging as the candidate from the primaries, urging the tribunal to declare him as the rightful candidate of the party in the election.

Tisel, dissatisfied with the tribunal’s decision, proceeded to the appeal tribunal seeking a reversal of the declaration removing him from office.

Delivering judgement in the appeal, weekend, the appellate tribunal said evidence before it confirmed that Kungmi was the candidate of the PDP for the cancelled March, 2008 council election and the one eventually held in November, last year.