A seven-man panel of Supreme Court Justices has affirmed the election of Governor Samuel Ortom as the duly elected governor of Benue State on the ground that his challenger Terhemen Tarzoor, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the locus standi to institute the suit.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, the court held that Hon Terhemen Tarzoor is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and therefore cannot contest the nomination and sponsorship of Mister Samuel Ortom as the governorship candidate of APC.
Justice Ngwuta, while dismissing the suit, awarded N150,000 as cost in favour of Governor Ortom and APC.
The judgement puts an end to Tarzoor’s battle to assume the office of Governor of Benue State.
In a judgment that lasted about 15 minutes, Justice Ngwuta said it is only a person who contested the primary election against Governor Samuel Ortom that can challenge his nomination by APC.
The Court further held that anybody who did not participate in APC’s primary election and is challenging the election of Governor Ortom on the ground of improper nomination is a busy-body.
Tarzoor and his party, PDP had dragged Governor Ortom to the Benue State Election Petition Tribunal on the grounds that Governor Ortom was not properly nominated by his party, the APC and having lost at the Tribunal, he decided to pursue his case up to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Ortom has extended an olive branch to Tarzoor.
Reacting to the judgment at the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, the governor commended Tarzoor for opting for the legal process rather than violence in the pursuit of his political convictions.
The Governor had won the April 11, 2015 Governorship polls on the platform of APC and thereafter at both the Elections Tribunal and the Appeal Court.
He stated that now that the apex court had settled the political dispute, he has extended a hand of fellowship to Prince Tarzoor and invited him to join him and contribute his ideas and those of his supporters towards the development of the state.
“What Benue needs at this time is for all its sons and daughters to collectively tackle the challenges of ignorance and disease afflicting the state,” he stressed.
He pledged his commitment to offering the people of the state dedicated service that would eradicate those three challenges.
According to the governor, the fact that he neither saw nor bribed any judge at all levels through which the case passed indicated that there was hope for people to get justice in the country.
He expressed appreciation to both his legal team and some leaders of the Benue community who were in court and thereafter with him at the lodge for successfully defending the mandate of the Benue electorate and their consistent support.
-Leadership
