Tribunal Upholds Election of Benue Governor, Alia

*PDP rejects verdict

George Okoh in Makurdi

The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Makurdi, the state capital, yesterday upheld the victory of Governor Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

Delivering the judgment, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Ibrahim Karaye, held that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to entertain pre-election issues raised by the petitioners, Titus Uba and his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Karaye, who read the unanimous judgment, stated that only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain issues bordering on pre-election matters.

He further said the petitioners’ case was also an abuse of court processes because the same case was filed by the petitioners before the Federal High Court Abuja Division and its judgment was not challenged by the petitioners.
He said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of the 2nd and 3rd respondents by the 4th respondent since they were not members of the 4th respondent.

Justice Karaye further said that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of forgery against the 3rd respondent before the tribunal.
He said the 2nd and 3rd respondents were qualified to contest the March 18 governorship election and therefore, dismissed the case.
The petitioners, Titus Uba and the PDP, had dragged the respondents, INEC, Hyacinth Alia, Dr. Sam Ode, and the APC before the tribunal, challenging their declaration as winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petitioners argued that the 2nd and 3rd respondents, Alia and Ode, were at the time of contesting the election, not qualified to contest the March 18 Governorship Election.
They averred that the 4th respondent – the APC – did not follow the provisions of the law in the nomination of the governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

They also alleged that the 3rd respondent had presented a forged certificate to the 1st respondent, INEC, and therefore, should be disqualified.
They, therefore, prayed among other things, for the nullification of their election and the declaration of the petitioners as winners of the election, having scored the second highest lawful votes.
The also contended that having not qualified to contest the election, their votes should be declared invalid and certificates earlier issued to them by INEC be withdrawn.

The petitioners in the suit did not challenge the result of the March 18 Benue governorship election but qualifications of the candidates.
However, the respondents in their counter arguments, urged the tribunal to dismiss the suit in its entirety as it was an abuse of court processes.
The respondents stated that the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, had before the election, delivered judgment on the same matter, which was filed by the petitioners but they did not appeal the judgment till date.

They also said that the issues raised were all pre-election matters and only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain the same.
Meanwhile, state chapter of the PDP has rejected the judgment. It said through his spokesman Bemgba Iortyom that after a review of the judgment with its team of lawyers, PDP believes that it does not meet the requirements of substantive justice and is not in alignment with extant electoral laws, guidelines and regulations.

The party has accordingly directed its lawyers to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Abuja within the timeframe specified by law.

“Our great party urges its teeming supporters across the state to be calm and of good cheer in the faith that though the walk to justice may be long, the goal of reclaiming the governorship mandate will surely be achieved in the end”.