Benue gov’ship: Supreme Court affirms Suswam’s victory

The Supreme Court yesterday ended the attempt by the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Steve Ugbah, to unseat Governor Gabriel Suswam as the governor of Benue state.
A panel of seven Justices of the Apex court led by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi held that it was evident that the constitutional effect of section 285(6) and (7) has been well pronounced by the court.
Justice Ogunbiyi in the consolidated appeal held that the application is purely an academic exercise, frivolous, vexatious and abuse of court process.

The court further awarded N1million each as punitive costs against Ugbah in favour of Governor Suswam, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The application is thereby dismissed with N1 million cost in favour of each set of respondents against the applicants counsel,” the judge ruled.

The application was seeking a fresh hearing of the petition filed against Suswam’s election by the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Ugba.
The panel of five justices of the apex court, with Justice Muntaka Coomasie presiding, held that the application to set aside the judgement was incompetent.
The court said Ugba did not file the June 8, judgement of the Supreme Court which he sought to set aside.
But in its June 8 judgement, the Supreme Court had held that the constitution had prescribed that election petitions at the tribunal should be heard and concluded within 180 days of filing them.