Suswam Files N1Billion Suit Against Prof. Ugba,Terver Kakih And Power Sterling.

Flag bearer of former Action Congress of Nigeria, A.C.N, now All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2011 Benue governorship election, Professor Steve Ugbah is to face N1billion libel suit filed against him by Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state.

Ugbah is to be joined in the defamation suit with Terver Kakih of the People Democratic Party, PDP, and publisher of a Kaduna based magazine, Chief Tom Oga Uhia.

Both persons had challenged the originality of Governor Suswam’s education certificates at various law courts.Barely two days after the Supreme Court cleared the Benue governor over allegations of certificate forgery, he instructed his lawyer Chief. J S Okutepa to slam a N1 billion suit against the flag bearer of All Progressive Congress, APC, Prof. Steve Ugbah, Terver Kakih of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the publisher of a Kaduna based magazine, Chief Tom Uhia for defamation of character.

According to the governor, “when I contested in 1999, 2003 and 2007 nobody raised any issue of certificate with me not until 2011”.He also stated that he was ready to die for the sake of clearing his name before a competent court of law, especially now that the apex court has cleared him of the allegations.Counsel to the governor, Chief Okutepa, said that he has already filed a defamation charge against Prof Ugbah and Terver Kakih who ran in the PDP primaries with Suswam, before a High court sitting in Makurdi, Benue state.(has he shown the certificate to anyone?)

He also, said that he has filed another suit before an Abuja High court against the publisher of Power steering magazine and its editors.

The Supreme Court had on Friday thrown out an appeal brought before it by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Terver Kakih, challenging the election of Dr Gabriel Suswam as the Governor of Benue State.In over 60-page judgment delivered by Justice Suleiman Galadima, the seven-member panel of justices of the apex court held that Kakih’s appeal lacks merit and was consequently thrown out.

The court upheld the concurrent judgment of the trial and the appellant on the matter, adding that the appellant failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the criminal allegation of certificate forgery against the governor.“Appellant claim is un-meritorious. In the light of all I have said, I dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit”, Justice Galadima held and added that the appellant failed to place evidence before the court to show that the special congress did not comply with election guidelines and the electoral Act.

Kakih had contested the PDP primaries with Governor Suswam in 2011 but lost.He had dragged Suswam to the Federal High Court in Makurdi, alleging that he was not qualified to stand for election under the platform of the PDP.But in his verdict on the matter in July 2012, Justice Marcel Awokulehin dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction, saying that he failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Kakih filed 10 grounds of appeal before the court of appeal, asking it to set aside the verdict of the lower court and grant his prayers.But in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice John Okoro of the Appeal Court, the appellate court dismissed Kakih’s suit for lack of merit and ordered that Kakih paid N50, 000 as damages to Suswam and the PDP, holding further that court documents were serious documents, which “should not be left in the hands of a carpenter to prepare and read”.

Similarly, Prof Ugbah dragged Suswam before the election petition tribunal in Makurdi as well as the Appeal and Supreme courts over alleged certificate forgery.But the Apex court declined to hear the matter because it was filed out of time; the stipulated 180days had lapsed.

What about Chigozie?