Alia Hails Judgment
THE Supreme Court, on Monday, January 8, upheld the declaration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the elected governor of Benue State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in last year’s governorship poll by dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mr. Titus Uba.
The governorship election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja had earlier affirmed Alia’s election, but dissatisfied, Uba challenged the judgment at the apex court.
His Counsel, Mr. Sebastian Hon (SAN), urged the apex court to allow the appeal, adding Alia’s Deputy was not sponsored by the APC.
“I urge this court to allow the appeal. This appeal has to do with non-sponsorship; the deputy governor’s name was not submitted to INEC. Their witnesses admitted to it. Section 177(c) has not been complied with. His sponsorship, not by the law, is no sponsorship.”
One of the Justices on the panel, Justice Emmanuel Agim, questioned why the matter was brought before the court, being not a post-election matter.
His colleague, Justice John Okoro, who led the five-member panel, said the case should not have been brought before the court, adding: “This is not the kind of case that should come here.”
Hon then withdraw the appeal, a move that was not opposed by all the respondents in the matter, who also did not demand no cost.
Justice Okoro, however, dismissed the appeal, noting: “This appeal, having been withdrawn, is hereby dismissed.”
Alia, a Catholic priest, won the election with 473,933 votes, against Uba’s 223,913 votes.
The governor, in his reaction, hailed the Supreme Court judgment, saying the decision has only reaffirmed the time-honored mantra that power belongs to the people
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Tersoo Kula, in Makurdi, shortly after the verdict, while congratulating Benue people on their grand victory at the court, dedicated it to them, promising that to continue to deliver on his campaign promises.
