By Amos Aar
THE Makurdi Division of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Hassan Diko has dismissed the suit filed by Prof. Terhemba Shija seeking the nullification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary election held in May, 2022 which produced Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia as the party’s candidate in Benue State.
Delivering judgement Thursday, the court upheld that the preliminary objection raised by APC and Fr. Alia and held that the plaintiff had no locus operandi to institute the suit having admitted in his originating summons that he never participated in the primary election of the APC in Benue State.
The court held that Benue APC conducted a valid primary election in the eleven (11) local governments that Prof. Shija was seeking to challenge.
Reacting to a report of the APC Benue State Appeal Panel written by former chairman of the panel which described the said election as “yahoo yahoo primaries”, the presiding judge said it was explicit that the signature of the secretary and other members of the panel were procured and that the APC held a valid primary election.
The court therefore dismissed the suit for lack of substantial evidence.
Fr. Alia is now left with three more legal battles from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Barnabas Gemade and Michael Kaase Aõndonakaa (SAN), to tackle before the general elections.
