Supreme Court dismisses appeal on APC governorship primary in Benue

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Benue State, Prof. Terhemba Shija on the party’s governorship primary held last year.

Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia emerged as the APC governorship candidate in Benue after he defeated Shija and other aspirants in the primary election held on May 27 last year.

The APC had during the proceeding drawn the attention of the court to a letter written by the petitioner through his counsel Mr. Kenneth Ikonne in which he complained about an event that took place a day before the election and dissociated himself from it.

READ ALSO: Appeal Court orders APC to conduct fresh governorship primary in 11 Benue LGAs

Although Shija insisted that the cause of action arose on May 28 when the results of the primary election were announced, the party used the content of his letter against him.

The APC argued that after he learnt about the cause of action on May 26 he ought to have filed the suit within 14 days stipulated by section 285 of the 1999 Constitution.

In a brief ruling, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Inyang Okoro dismissed the appeal for being statute barred.

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