The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State yesterday dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Terhemen Tarzoor against Governor Samuel Ortom of All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tarzoor had challenged the emergency of Ortom as governor and prayed that the governor was not qualified to contest the 2015 governorship election because the APC did not conduct the governorship primaries.
But lawyers to Ortom led by Mr. Adeniyi Akintola had said the petition was abandoned by the petitioner, breached court process, therefore lacking in merit and asked the tribunal to dismiss it.
Yesterday, the three panel of judges led by the tribunal chairman, Justice Elizabeth Karatu delivered the judgement which lasted for more than four hours. Security operatives including men of the police and DSS were placed in strategic positions at the venue of the tribunal.
Justice Karatu ruled that Ortom was duly qualified to contest the April 2015 governorship election in accordance with section 138 (1a) and section 177 (c) of the 1999 constitution. She held that the petition did not provide evidence to convincingly uphold that the governor was not nominated by the APC.
According to Karatu, “the APC membership register was not provided by the petitioner as evidence and the discrepancy in the serial number as questioned by the petitioner is immaterial in the petition.”
“The tribunal however hold that the petition is therefore dismissed and the certificate of return of the first respondent is hereby restored,”she stated.
Speaking to newsmen, the visibly happy Governor Ortom described the judgement as a vindication of positive change which, he noted has tallied with true democracy tenets and proper judicial adjudication.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Tarzoor have faulted the judgement, saying they will appeal against it.
They stated this through their lawyer, D.S Kertyo shortly after the judgment was passed by the tribunal.
