The Court of Appeal, sitting in Makurdi, Monday, nullified the gubernatorial primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Benue state in 11 local government areas.
The affected local governments were Gboko, Gwer- East, Gwer-west, Guma, Katsina, Logo Makurdi, Otukpo, Ukum,Tarka and Vandeikya.
The Court also ordered the APC to conduct a fresh governorship primary election within 14 days and ordered Hyacinth Alia and the APC to pay Prof. Shija N2 million.
The court gave the order while ruling on the appeal filed by the governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC, Professor Terhemba Shija, against the judgement of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, which dismissed his suit challenging the APC gubernatorial primaries in Benue state that produced Hyacinth Alia as candidate.
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Biobelle Abraham Georgewill, held that Prof. Shija was able to prove that there was no gubernatorial primary election conducted by the APC on May 27th, 2022.
It, however, held that Shija failed to prove that the APC did not hold a rerun governorship election on June 9th, 2022.
Speaking, the Legal Adviser to the APC, Fidelis Mnyim, said there is no cause for alarm.
According to him, the judgement has opened two options to for APC.
“The first option is that we will comply with the court directive and conduct a rerun primaries in the 11 LGs within the next 14 days and the second is to approach the supreme court within 14days.
“We, however, would apply for the hard copy of the judgement, study it critically and advise the party accordingly. But in my opinion, either of the two options are in favour of the party,” he said.
The governorship candidate of the APC, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, who also reacted to the judgement expressed his respect for the judgement, urged all APC members and supporters to remain calm as he was still on the ballot.
He said all the other prayers against him in the case were thrown out except one in which the Court directed that the APC should go back to the 11 LGAs to conduct a rerun of the elections.
“We respect the judgement so far and I am appealing to my supporters to remain calm and everything is still under control. I am still in the ballot.
“I am going to make further consultation with the party’s leadership and speak to you further, so stay calm.
He thanked all party members for standing by him and urged them to continue to keep faith to the end.
The State APC chairman Austin Agada who also reacted said the APC in the state was confident that the voice of the people is the voice of God.
“We created an enabling environment where the people exercised their franchise by voting massively for the person and candidate of Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia. My appeal to APC supporters is that nothing has happened.
“So they should remain calm, be law abiding and by God’s special grace, Fr Alia would be on the ballot for them to happily vote him governor of Benue state in the elections,” Agada said.
