Benue Gov Poll: Appeal Court Dismisses Uba’s Appeal Against Alia, Deputy

Titus Uba, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor, appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which denied that Hyacinth Alia had been elected governor of Benue State.

All three of the issues raised for determination against Uba and PDP were resolved by the court in unanimity for a variety of reasons.

The allegations of non-qualification made by Uba against the deputy governor Samuel Ode were dismissed by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, who delivered the lead judgment.

He claimed that the PDP candidate had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Ode had forgeried INEC form EC9.

The issues of non-qualification, according to the Appellate Court, are pre-election issues that can only be brought up before a Federal High Court and not the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, as Uba did.

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A lawsuit to challenge non-qualification can only be filed within 14 days of the subject matter’s occurrence, Justice Otisi continued.

The allegations made by Uba that the All Progressives Congress did not submit Hyacinth Alia’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC within 180 days of the March 18 election were also addressed by the Court.

Because Alia’s primary election was conducted within the time frame set by the court and was ordered by a High Court, the Appellate Court ruled that the allegations could stand.

According to Justice Otisi, Uba’s appeal from the September 23 decision of the Benue State Election Petition Tribunal was dismissed because it lacked merit.

Source: Channels TV