Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, yesterday dismissed the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State challenging the legibility and nomination of Chief Dr Samuel Ortom as the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state. The case which was instituted by the PDP through its counsel, Barrister Andrew Wombo, had earlier averred that the defendant was still a member of the PDP, but however in yesterday’s hearing, Wombo requested to withdraw the case and in her ruling Justice Nyako dismissed it. Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), led other lawyers who appeared for the defendant, Dr Ortom as well as Barrister Michael Gusa who held brief for Sebastian Hon and others appeared for the APC. Justice Binta Nyako further granted and award costs of N250,000 to both Chief Dr Ortom and the APC. Recall that the legal battle against the Benue State governor-elect, Dr. Ortom was instituted following his dumping the PDP and defecting to the APC, after his failure to clinch the PDP’s gubernatorial ticket for last April 11 gubernatorial poll, in which he was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
