Abuja — In a decisive ruling on Monday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja upheld the election victory of Hyacinth Alia as the governor of Benue State.
The judgment affirmed the earlier decision of the tribunal in the face of a challenge brought by Titus Uba, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the March 18 governorship election.
Uba contested the tribunal’s judgment, claiming irregularities in Alia’s election. Among his allegations was the assertion that Alia’s deputy, Samuel Ode, had presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a violation of Section 182(1)(j) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Additionally, Uba argued that Alia’s candidacy was submitted less than 180 days before the election date, and Ode was not officially submitted to INEC after the party conducted a further re-run primary election.
The tribunal, led by Justice Ibrahim Karaye, dismissed Uba’s petition, categorizing it as a pre-election matter and deeming it statute-barred. However, Uba persisted and sought redress from the Court of Appeal.
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In the recent ruling, the three-member panel of the appeal court, presided over by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, maintained that Uba failed to substantiate the allegations of forgery against Ode beyond reasonable doubt.
Details of the court’s decision will be provided as they emerge.
