The Supreme Court has confirmed Hyacinth Alia as the Governor of Benue state, rejecting the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Titus Uba. The apex court’s verdict reaffirms the previous rulings of the governorship election petition tribunal and the court of appeal in Abuja, which both upheld Alia’s decisive victory.
Titus Uba, who was not satisfied with the earlier judgments, took the legal dispute to the Supreme Court, reaching the peak of a legal drama that gripped the state. Alia, a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and a Catholic priest, won the March 2023 governorship election, a fact widely reported by the media.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially recognized Alia’s win, giving him a certificate of return. Prof. Faruk Kuta, the INEC Returning Officer, announced Alia’s remarkable score of 473,933 votes, beating his nearest rival, Titus Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party, who got 223,914 votes. The Supreme Court’s ruling cements Alia’s status, ending the legal contest that shaped the post-election scene.
