We’ll exhaust legal options to recover Benue gov’ship – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State on Tuesday reiterated its resolve to pursue the legal option to recover the governorship seat of the state.

The PDP reaction followed the judgement of the Court of Appeal on Monday in Abuja which dismissed the appeal by the party’s governorship candidate, Engr. Titus Uba, against the earlier judgement of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal which upheld the victory of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia as governor of the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 2023 elections.

Its state publicity secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, who made the party’s position known in a statement, said “It remains the contention of the party that, in line with extant electoral laws, regulations and guidelines, the governorship of the state at the last election was won by Engr. Uba as canvassed by his legal team at the tribunal and at the just-decided appeal.

“The party’s leadership will consult with the legal team on the best possible approach to the next step in the litigation process and urges its teeming members and supporters to maintain the faith that justice will surely be done to the petition by Engr. Titus Uba.

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“Our great party maintains belief in the Judiciary as the last resort for citizens where impunity and manipulation are deployed by a party to a contest such as was the case in the 2023 Benue governorship election.

“PDP believes democracy is best served and the sanctity of the votes of the electorate better preserved by the pursuit of the legal option where there occurs violation of the electoral process as was done by APC at the 2023 governorship election,” Iortyom said.

Earlier, the spokesman of the Benue State governor, Tersoo Kula, hailed the appellate court’s verdict and called on the opposition to jettison further legal battle and join hands with his principal to move the state to an enviable height.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the APC in the state, Chief Simon Shango, has frowned at divisive politicking among politicians in the state.

 Shango said those bent on causing disunity and discord in Benue State do not mean well for its development, noting that such tendencies were capable of derailing the progress which all the political leaders are committed to making happen for the betterment of citizens.