Appeal Court affirms Benue’s Speaker election

The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi on Wednesday affirmed the election of the Speaker of Benue State Assembly, Titus Uba, representing Kyan state constituency.

Justice E. J. Ekanem, in his lead panel judgement held that the appeal, brought against the Speaker by the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Gwaza Ujamatyu, lacked merit.

Consequently, Justice Ekanem dismissed the appeal and therefore upheld the earlier decision of the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal which favoured the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)’s Uba.

The court held that since the appellants failed to raise any ground of their appeal challenging the decision of the tribunal with respect to evidence of their witnesses, it therefore marked the end of the evidence of the witnesses forever.

Meanwhile, the Speaker through his Chief of Staff, Terkimbi Akaaka, applauded the judgement in an interview with newsmen, stressing that the decision reflected the wishes of the masses.

Akaaka urged his principal’s opponent to eschew any further grievances and join in the development of the constituency for the betterment of the electorate.

On his part, the APC candidate, Ujamatyu, expressed satisfaction that he has fought a good fight, adding that it was an election matter, not a war situation.