THE Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, yesterday upheld the victory of former Senate president David Mark, as earlier pronounced by the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal.
In a swift reaction to the appellate court judgment, Mark said he has forgiven his opponents and those who wanted to scuttle his victory in the February 20, 2016 re-run election for Benue South Senatorial District.

Justice Oyebisi Omoleye who led the three-man panel struck out the case brought before it by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Daniel Onjeh for lacking merit.
The panel held that the Onjeh filed his petition out of time as required by the Electoral Act, therefore, rendering the petition incompetent.
Omoleye said the appellant’s petition was filed 22 daysafter the declaration of the election result by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which affirmed Mark of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as senator representing Benue South Senatorial District.
Meanwhile, Mark said he has forgiven his opponent and those who wanted to scuttle his victory in the rerun election.
But, the counsel to Onjeh, Sunday Ayegba said: “We are not happy with the decision of the appeal panel but there is nothing we can do.”
Mark emerged winner of the rerun election with 84,192 votes to Onjeh’s 71, 621 votes.