The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, on Friday sacked Senator Memga Udende and declared Senator Gabriel Suswam, a former governor of Benue state, as winner of the Benue North-east senatorial election which was held on February 25, 2023.
Sen. Emmanuel Udende was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a total score of 135, 575, with Suswam scoring 112, 231.
But Suswam who was not satisfied with the result of the election had approached the Election Petitions Tribunal citing irregularities in the election, saying he was the real winner of the election based on lawful votes cast.
In the judgement delivered by the three panel judges led by Justice Justice Ory-Zik Ikeoha, the tribunal stated that it had to rely on documentary evidence to decide its judgement.
Justice Ikeoha said the issue of over-voting which was contested in the case by the complainant, Gabriel Suswam, was not such that could be relied on a witness’ testimonies, but documental evidence.
She said based on the evidence before her, there were electoral malpractices and irregularities in five local government areas within the constituency which twisted the outcome.
She held that according to the real result from the election based on the evidence before her, Suswam, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won with a total of 90, 590 votes while Udende of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored only 82, 699, giving Senator Suswam a lead with 7,920 votes difference.
Meanwhile, the immediate past governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has congratulated Senator Suswam over his victory at the tribunal.
Ortom said the victory further proved the capacity of the judiciary to uphold justice and serve as the bastion of democracy.
He commended Senator Suswam for following the legal process to get justice and congratulated the PDP family in the state for the tribunal verdict.
