The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the governorship election appeals from the states of Ebonyi and Benue today.
With Justice John Okoro leading the five-man panel of Justices, Titus Uba, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, is contesting the electoral victory of Governor Hyacinth Alia from the All Progressives Congress (APC). Both Governor Alia and his deputy are present for the court proceedings.
Previously, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had confirmed Alia’s election as the governor of Benue State, following the March 18 governorship election. The court stated that it did not have the jurisdiction to hear the petition as it was a pre-election matter.
The court further stated that Uba should have pursued the allegations of forgery against Deputy Governor Sam Ode at the high court. It also concluded that Uba was unable to substantiate the forgery allegations against Ode beyond a reasonable doubt.
In the case of Ebonyi State, the Court of Appeal in Lagos upheld the election of Francis Nwifuru as the legitimate governor of Ebonyi State. The three-member panel, led by Justice Jummai Sankey, unanimously dismissed the appeal lodged by Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The panel resolved all five issues raised against the appellant and dismissed the appeal due to a lack of merit. Justice Sankey ruled that the PDP and its candidate did not have the legal authority to interfere in the internal affairs of the All Progressives Congress, particularly in relation to candidate nominations.