The Supreme Court on Friday, January 15, upheld the election of Samuel Ortom as governor of Benue state, NAN reports.
The apex court judgment comes a few months after the Court of Appeal
sitting in Makurdi, on November 18, 2015, upheld the verdict of the
election petition tribunal which affirmed the qualification and election
of Ortom as the state governor.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Terhemen Tarzoor, had asked the court to reverse the tribunal’s judgement and declare him winner of the April governorship election in the state. He argued that the tribunal erred in its judgment insisting that Ortom was not qualified to run in the election.
Tarzoor filed a petition before the tribunal challenging the qualification of Ortom to contest the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state but the Justice Elizabeth Karatu-led tribunal, on the September 21, 2015, dismissed the petition, claiming that the petitioner failed to seek as one of its reliefs the conduct of a fresh election.
The PDP candidate alleged that Ortom was not validly nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be its flag bearer, and sought a declaration by the appellate court to set aside the tribunal’s judgement which had dismissed his petition for lack of merit.
Mr. Tarzoor also asked the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him winner of the April governorship poll.
READ ALSO:50 yrs after January 15 1966 coup: When soldiers touched the tail of the tiger
But the APC in its response insisted that its candidate, Ortom, was validly nominated in conformity with the requirements of the Electoral Act 2010. The party noted that the burden of proof rests on the shoulders of the appellants.
Meanwhile, following the cancellation of his electoral victory by the appeal court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, the former Senate president David Mark has insisted that the Benue state government has a hand in his ordeal.
In another development, in a bid to curtail the spread of Lassa fever, the Benue state government has directed people in the state to desist from eating rats for the meantime. This directive was given by Governor Ortom at Aso Villa shortly after meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Supreme Court has uphold the election of Samuel Ortom as governor of Benue state.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Terhemen Tarzoor, had asked the court to reverse the tribunal’s judgement and declare him winner of the April governorship election in the state. He argued that the tribunal erred in its judgment insisting that Ortom was not qualified to run in the election.
Tarzoor filed a petition before the tribunal challenging the qualification of Ortom to contest the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state but the Justice Elizabeth Karatu-led tribunal, on the September 21, 2015, dismissed the petition, claiming that the petitioner failed to seek as one of its reliefs the conduct of a fresh election.
The PDP candidate alleged that Ortom was not validly nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be its flag bearer, and sought a declaration by the appellate court to set aside the tribunal’s judgement which had dismissed his petition for lack of merit.
Mr. Tarzoor also asked the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him winner of the April governorship poll.
READ ALSO:50 yrs after January 15 1966 coup: When soldiers touched the tail of the tiger
But the APC in its response insisted that its candidate, Ortom, was validly nominated in conformity with the requirements of the Electoral Act 2010. The party noted that the burden of proof rests on the shoulders of the appellants.
Meanwhile, following the cancellation of his electoral victory by the appeal court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, the former Senate president David Mark has insisted that the Benue state government has a hand in his ordeal.
In another development, in a bid to curtail the spread of Lassa fever, the Benue state government has directed people in the state to desist from eating rats for the meantime. This directive was given by Governor Ortom at Aso Villa shortly after meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
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