The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal challenging the emergence of Hyacinth Alia as the Governor of Benue State. The decision follows the withdrawal of the appeal by Titus Uba, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who contested the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alia, in the March 18 gubernatorial election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier declared Alia as the winner of the election. Despite Uba’s grievance and legal challenges, the victory of Governor Alia was affirmed by both the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The Supreme Court, dealing with matters arising before the elections, declared that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the petition. The Court of Appeal further ruled that Uba should have pursued legal action regarding the alleged forgery against Sam Ode, the deputy governor, at the high court. It emphasized that Uba failed to prove the forgery allegations against Ode beyond a reasonable doubt.
The dismissal of the appeal at the Supreme Court solidifies Hyacinth Alia’s position as the Governor of Benue State, concluding the legal challenges against his victory in the gubernatorial election.
