By Thomas Usende
With the judgment of the Appeal Court canceling the All Progressives Congress, APC yahoo yahoo primary election in Benue State, the contumacious man Hyacinth Alia must be told that he is now barred by the law from campaigning and parading himself as governorship candidate!
The court was explicit in its judgment that no APC primary election took place in 11 local government areas of Benue State, namely: Makurdi, Otukpo, Gboko, Gwer-East, Gwer-West Guma, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Tarka and Vandeikya. Aside from Tarka, these are local governments with the biggest populations in Benue state, so for any election to fail to hold in those areas means that the entire process was a fraud and total failure.
The implication of the Appeal Court judgment is that APC in Benue State now has no governorship candidate because they are yet to conduct a credible primary election. If Alia or any of his supporters refer to him now as a candidate, such a person has committed an offence punishable by law. The man is no longer a candidate so he must henceforth not parade himself as one. He must also not be seen at any campaign venue addressing the people in whatever guise.
When some of us wrote that APC in Benue state were digging their graves, they didn’t take the caution in good faith; but now, they have learnt the hard way. You can’t rig the process and expect the people to watch and smile. APC is a bad example of everything. That party doesn’t have regard for due process. They cut corners in everything.
“I think the insults they gave to Prof Terhemba Shija, Chief Barnabas Gemade and Chief Kaase Aondoakaa are now coming back to haunt them. Shija is having the last laugh. Gemade too will approach the Supreme Court and Aondoakaa’s judgment is coming tomorrow”.
