- Vows to ensure integrity of internal democracy
BY VICTOR BUORO – A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Barnabas Gemade has vowed to approach the Supreme Court over the Court of Appeal’s ruling dismissing his suit challenging the Benue APC gubernatorial primary election that produced Reverend Fr. Hyacinth Alia as its candidate.
The trial court presided over by Justice Abdul Dogo in Makurdi, had last December dismissed as being statute barred the suit instituted by Senator Gemade, who represented Benue North East senatorial district between 2011 and 2015.
In his ruling, Justice Dogo held that the governorship aspirant filed the case out of time thereby denying the court jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Thereafter, the Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi upheld the trial Court’s judgment by dismissing the appeal by Gemade, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling, Senator Gemade stated that after due consultations with his team of lawyers, they have decided to approach the Supreme Court for final adjudication on the matter.
A statement issued by his Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Solo Dzuah, said the governorship aspirant decided to approach the apex Court “after due consultations with his legal team on the need to pursue the case to its logical conclusion since the main issues raised in his suit and subsequent prayers were not addressed.”
The statement further said; “He (Gemade) expressed confidence in the judiciary as a system that guarantees justice and hope for the common man through diligent adjudication and interpretation of the law.
“The gubernatorial hopeful further admonished his campaign team, and teeming supporters to remain resolute and law-abiding for the exhaustion of full legal processes for clarity, sanity, and due process and to prove their case before the highest court.
“The former federal lawmaker also reiterated the justification for his legal actions as a loyal party man, and fully recognized aspirant for APC Benue state governorship primaries who feel short-changed by the manipulated process of nomination, and who still reserves the right to pursue justice in defence of the party guidelines and electoral provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He concluded that his decision remains the only option to sanitize the electoral system and reposition the integrity of internal democracy which the state yearns for.”
