Court Of Appeal Sacks Suswan

By Akinwale Kasali

A former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan, has lost his Senatorial seat.

Suswan,  PDP, representing Benue North Senatoral District, was sacked from the Senate by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, November 1st, 2023.

The Appellate Court, in a unanimous ruling by the three members of the Panel said Suswan did not win the election to the Senate conducted on February 25, 2023. It faulted the National Assembly Election Petition Court, Benue, for sacking Emmanuel Udende, APC, declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in favour of Suswan.

Said the Judges: “The judgement of the Tribunal delivered on 8/9/2023 is hereby set aside.

“The return of the Appellant as the winner of the Benue North East Senatorial District that was held on February 25 is hereby affirmed.

“Parties are to bear their respective cost.”

When INEC declared Udende winner, it said he defeated Suswan by polling 135, 573 votes to Suswan’s 112, 231 votes.

But Suswan went to Court and  pleaded that the exercise was marred by over-voting, irregularities, alterations and falsification of results. The lower Court agreed with him that there were irregularities in five out of seven LGAs. The Tribunal  went ahead to cancel 51,895 votes entered for Udende and 21,229 entered for Suswan.

The Court of Appeal upturned all that in its ruling on Udende’s appeal.