Benue election: PDP loses to APC in court

The National/State House of Assembly Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi on Monday struck out the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the victory of Mr Bem Mngutyo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Tarka State Constituency.

The PDP and its candidate, Mr. Philip Orshi, approached the tribunal, alleging that the election that produced Mngutyo as winner of Tarka state constituency election was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act.

However, in a twist of event, Orshi, through his counsel, Mr Terna Yaji, filed a motion for withdrawal of the petition, NAN reports.

Moving the motion for the withdrawal of the petition, Yaji said that they filed a four-paragraph affidavit as well as a written address, intimating that his client decided to take the action for personal interest.

“My client said he is no longer willing to continue with the petition and urged the court to strike out the case in the absence of any counter affidavit,” Yaji said.

Also, Counsel to the first and second respondents (Mngutyo and APC), Mr Tim Dim acknowledged that he was served with the motion by counsel to the petitioner.

Dim said that he would not oppose the motion to strike out the petition.

Consequently, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice A. A. Adeleye said that the motion had fulfilled the conditions and struck out the petition.

Reacting to the development, Mngutyo who is the Minority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, said that it was case of no victor, no vanquished.

He pledged that he would sustain his programme as well as provide other democratic dividends to his constituency.

The minority leader further promised to team up with Orshi in order to work for the development and progress of their constituency.