Gov Election: Supreme Court Hears Appeals Of Ebonyi, Benue Today

The Supreme Court will today, January 8, hear the appeal from the gubernatorial elections of Ebonyi and Benue State.

Justice John Okoro will be leading the five-man panel of justices.

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, and his deputy, Sam Ode, are in attendance.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Titus Uba, is challenging the victory of Governor Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Governor Alia and his deputy are present in court for the hearing.

Recall that the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed Alia’s election as governor of Benue State, who was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election.

The court had said it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the petition because it was a pre-election matter.

The court held that Uba ought to have prosecuted the forgery allegation against Sam Ode, the deputy governor at the high court.

It also held that Uba failed to prove allegations of forgery against Ode beyond reasonable doubt.

For Ebonyi State, the Court of Appeal Lagos affirmed the election of Francis Nwifuru as the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State.

In a unanimous decision, the three-member panel led by Justice Jummai Sankey dismissed the appeal filed by Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The panel also resolved all five issues raised against the appellant and dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.

Justice Sankey held that the PDP and its candidates lacked the legal right to meddle in the internal affairs of the All Progressives Congress as it relates to the nomination of candidates.