Lami Danladi’s election as the State Assembly’s deputy speaker has been validated by the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which is located in Makurdi, Benue State.
Justice Ory’zik Ikeorha, the panel’s chairman, delivered the verdict on Thursday and stated that the petitioners, Mrs. Agnes Uloko and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had not provided sufficient evidence to support their claims.
Ikeorha claimed that the petitioners had not provided sufficient evidence to support their claims of certificate fraud and that Danladi had not been an APC member prior to running for office.
She claimed that the petitioner’s evidence was insufficient to prove that the respondent had committed forgery.
The facts in front of the court, the court decided, demonstrated that the respondent’s certificate looked authentic.
“The reliefs sought are hereby refused, the petition stands dismissed in entirety,” she said.
Uloko and PDP had dragged Danladi, APC and INEC before the tribunal challenging his victory and declaration by INEC.
The petitioners alleged that the respondent does not possess the requisite qualifications to contest the March 18 assembly election and was not a member of the APC as of the time of the election.
The petitioner also prayed the court to disqualify the respondent and declare her the winner of the election on the basis of forgery.
However, the respondent countered the petitioner’s prayers insisting that she possessed the required qualifications to contest the election and tendered relevant documents.
She said the allegations of the petitioners were mere hearsay and challenged them to prove their case.