The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the election of Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state, saying the issues raised in the appeal did not qualify as post-election matters.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by John Okoro dismissed the appeal of Titus Uba, his major challenger during the 18 March 2023 poll.
Mr Uba and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through their lawyer, Sebastine Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), approached the Supreme Court where they sought to invalidate the polls after losing at the Appeal Court and Benue State Election Petition Tribunal.
Mr Uba had challenged the candidacy of Governor Alia, who ditched his cassock as a Roman Catholic priest for the APC governorship ticket. He also alleged that the state deputy governor, Sam Ode, forged credentials submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reserves judgment in Ebonyi
The Supreme Court also heard appeals filed by the PDP and its candidate in Ebonyi State, Chukwuma Ifeanyi, against Governor Francis Nwifuru’s election.
It reserved its decision to a date that will be communicated to the parties on appeals that relates to the internal affairs of the APC and nomination of candidates.
