Appeal court sacks Benue Speaker

THE Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State Capital yesterday sacked Speaker of the State House of Assembly,

THE Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State Capital yesterday sacked Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Terhemen Tarzoor and ordered that the Certificate of Return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be withdrawn and issued to Mr. Avine Agbom of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN).

The Appeal Court, in a consolidated judgment delivered by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemanan upheld the decision of the lower court of September 8, 2011, which stated that the lower tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to grant ex parte motion to the former Speaker and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It noted that the tribunal was right in rejecting uncertified true copies of forms EC8a for Tse-Tsa polling unit as well as results for the unit.

Justice Onyemanan further ruled that the three consolidated appeals by the Speaker lacked merit and dismissed them.

The seat in contention was for the Makurdi North State Constituency.

In another development, the Appeal Court has ordered a retrial of the case between Mr. Austin Asema Achado of the ACN against Mrs. Christiana Alaaga of the PDP for the House of Representative for Gwer/Gwer West Federal Constituency as well as the case between Titus Letta (ACN) and Terhide Ayua of PDP for Gwer House of Assembly seat.

Reacting to the judgment, Counsel to Agbom, Andrew Wombo, described it as “sound and wonderful,” stressing that, “it is a clear case of justice.”