BY PETER DURU

MAKURDI – Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi has annulled the election of the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly,  Mr. Terhemen Tarzoor, due to alleged irregularities and declared the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate in the election Mr Avine Agbom as winner.

The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to withdraw the  Certificate of Return issued to Mr. Tarzoor and issue same to Agbom as the duly elected member of the State House of Assembly for Makurdi North constituency.

In its judgment Wednesday, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemanan who presided over the court, upheld the judgement of the lower tribunal delivered on September 8, 2011, adding that the tribunal actually however, lacked the jurisdiction to grant ex parte motion to the former speaker and the PDP.

Justice Onyemanan noted that the tribunal was right in rejecting the uncertified true copies of forms EC8a for Tse-Tsa polling unit as well as results from the unit and consequently dismissed the three consolidated appeals by Hon. Tarzoor for both lack of ”merit and substance in all  ramifications.”