The Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld Hyacinth Alia’s election as governor of Benue State on Monday.
Titus Uba, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the March 18 governorship election, had petitioned the appellate court to overturn the tribunal’s decision, which upheld Alia’s election.
At the tribunal, Uba claimed, among other things, that Alia’s deputy, Samuel Ode, gave a fake certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission in violation of Section 182(1)(j) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He further stated that Alia’s name was submitted to INEC less than 180 days before the election date, and that Ode’s name was not submitted to INEC after the party held a re-run primary poll.
The petition was dismissed by a three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Ibrahim Karaye on the grounds that it was a pre-election affair and thus statute-barred.
The appellate court’s three-member bench led by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi decided on Monday that the Uba failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the claims of forgery against Ode.
…Details to follow