Jubilation in Benue as Supreme Court affirms Gov Ortom's election

There was jubilation in Benue state when by a unanimous verdict, a panel of the Supreme Court yesterday upheld the election of Samuel Ortom as governor of Benue State.
In a lead decision delivered on Friday by Justice Nwali Ngwuta, the court held that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Mr. Terhemen Tarzoor challenging the nomination of Ortom by APC as its gubernatorial flagbearer were busy bodies who lacked the lo¬cus standi to maintain the suit.
The apex court which consequently dismissed the case held that assuming without conceding that Gov Ortom’s nomination by his political party was improper, it held that those competent to challenge such nomination would be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The verdict, yesterday, finally rested the legal controversy surrounding the sponsorship of Ortom as the governorship candidate of the APC in the April 11 governorship poll that took place in the state.
But the summit court did not dismiss the suit without awarding a punitive cost against those who initiated the suit.
Specifically, Justice Nwali, in his lead judgment awarded the sum of N150,000 as cost in favour of Ortom and the APC.
His words: “We have come to the conclusion that the appellants have no locus to challenge the internal workings of another party. The case has no merit and is hereby dismissed. Appellants to pay cost in the sum of N150, 000 to APC and Ortom respectively.
“The cross-appeals have been overtaken by the termination of this appeal and are here¬by struck out,” the court held.
In the judgment that lasted for about fifteen minutes, Justice Ngwuta further averred that it is only a person who vied for the primary election against Governor Ortom that could challenge his nomination by the All Progressives Congress.
The Court also said that anybody who did not participate in the primary election of the APC and is challenging Ortom’s election on the ground of im-proper nomination is a “busy-body”.
Tarzoor of the PDP had dragged Ortom to the Benue State Election Petition Tribunal on the ground that he (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 Su¬preme Court.