News
BENUE: Appeal Court strikes out suit by Ortom, others against APC candidate
The Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, on Friday dismissed appeals filed separately by the trio of Governor Samuel Ortom, Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against Emmanuel Jime and the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The court also awarded N200,000 each as cost against the appellants.
The trio are respondents in a petition filed by Emmanuel Jime and the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the tribunal holding at Makurdi.
The five (5) Man appeal panel led by Hon. Justice Jummai H. Sankey while dismissing the appeals in a unanimous decision described the appeals as lacking in merit and abuse of court process.
INEC, Samuel Ortom and the PDP had, in separate appeals approached the Court of appeal to challenge the decision of the lower court (Tribunal) to reserve ruling on applications filed before it till the final day of judgement.
The appellants variously argued and submitted before the appeal court that differing ruling on applications to the last day of judgement amount to denial or breach of fair hearing.
Read also: No fewer that 171 Nigerians that were stranded in Libya on Friday returned to Nigeria
But in its ruling, the appeal court declared that the appellants failed to show course on how their right to fair hearing is breached or threatened.
“We have painstakingly looked at the arguments canvassed by the applicants but failed to see where and how their right for fair hearing is breached.
“We rather found out that the cry for denial of fair hearing is speculative, and since speculation has no place in law, we hereby declare that this appeal is lacking in merit and is hereby dismissed.
“we are doing everything possible to discourage these appeals brought before us in piecemeal.
“Counsels should educate their client on the need to wait till judgement is delivered at the lower court before approaching the appeal court,” the court ruled.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...