Breaking: Court Gives Final Verdict on Suit Challenging APC Gov Candidate’s Election in Powerful PDP State

• The court has finally decided the fate of Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue state
• This is as the court dismissed the suit filed by one of the governorship aspirants of the APC, Professor Terhemba Dhija against Alia
• In a fresh ruling on Thursday, the presiding judge who gave the judgement said that the case lacked merit

A federal high court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking the nullification of the candidacy of Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue state.

The APC in Benue had opted for a direct primary to pick its governorship candidate.

Alia had polled over 7,000 votes to clinch the party’s ticket on May 27.

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He contested the party’s ticket with Barnabas Gemade, a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Mike Aondoakaa, a former attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

Dissatisfied with the outcome, Aondoakaa filed a suit before the court challenging the primary outcome, Nigerian Tribune added.

The court's final verdict

Delivering judgment on Thursday, December 1st, Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, held that although the suit was a pre-election matter, since it was filed on June 10, it was out of time, The Cable reported.

The Court held that INEC conducted a valid primary election on 27 and 28 June 2022.

“The grouse of the plaintiff is that the Benue APC primary election was not conducted in compliance with the law,” the judge said.

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Winner emerges as court gives verdict on Ogun PDP governorship primary crisis

In another development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Oladipupo Adebutu as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s governorship primary in Ogun state.

Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the verdict on Thursday, December 1, after dismissing a suit by Jimi Lawal for lacking reliable and credible evidence.

Recall that Lawal contested the May 25 governorship primary election of PDP but lost to Adebutu.

2023 election: States where courts have sacked APC governorship candidates

Despite being the ruling party, the APC is not free from internal crises that could make the party lose two states in the forthcoming governorship election.

The ruling party is facing internal crises in Adamawa and Taraba states, where the governorship candidates were sacked by courts a few months before the election.

Presently, the APC does not have governorship candidates in the two northern states, just like it happened to the party in Zamfara in 2019.

Source: Legit.ng