S’court dismisses PDP’s appeal, affirms Alia as Benue governor

The supreme court has affirmed the election of Hyacinth Alia as Benue state governor.

In a judgment delivered on Monday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed two appeals filed by Titus Uba, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

John Okoro, who led the panel of justices, held that the issues raised in the appeals do not qualify as post-election matters.

The court prevailed on Sebastine Hon, counsel to the appellants, to withdraw the first appeal, which he did.

The apex court held that the dismissal of the first appeal marked: SC/CV/1162/2023 shall apply to the second, marked: SC/CV/1164/2023.

Alia was declared winner of the March 18 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Catholic priest polled 473,933 votes.

However, Uba and his party filed a petition challenging Alia’s victory.

In September, the governorship tribunal affirmed Alia’s election.

Ibrahim Karaye, chairman of the three-member tribunal panel, said they lacked jurisdiction to hear the petition because it is a pre-election matter.

Karaye said Uba ought to have prosecuted the forgery allegation against Sam Ode, Benue deputy governor, at the high court.

Uba and the PDP then appealed the ruling of the tribunal.

But the appeal court led by Onyekachi Aja Otisi, held that Uba failed to prove allegations of forgery against Ode beyond reasonable doubt.