By Akinwale Kasali
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia on Monday, escaped the fate which befell his Zamfara, Kano and Plateau States counterparts in the hands of the Court of Appeal. The three were sacked from office by the Court.
But Alia’s victory in the March 18th, 2023, Governorship Election has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
The Court upheld the verdict of the Benue State Governorship Election Petition Court which earlier affirmed the victory of the suspended Roman Catholic Priest. Alia was suspended from carrying out Priestly duties by the Church for daring to dabble into politics.
Following the verdict of the Lower Court, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate, Titus Uba, had approached the Appeal Court to set aside the judgment of the tribunal which upheld Alia’s election.
At the tribunal, Uba, among other things, alleged that Alia’s Deputy, Samuel Ode, presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission contrary to Section 182(1)(j) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He also claimed that Alia’s name was submitted less than 180 days before the election date, and Ode was also not submitted to INEC after the party conducted a further re-run primary election.
A three-member panel of the tribunal, headed by Justice Ibrahim Karaye, dismissed the petition on the ground that it was a pre-election matter and was statute-barred.
Ruling on the appeal on Monday, the Appeal Court ’s three-member panel led by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi held that Uba failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the allegations of forgery against Ode.
