The Court of Appeal in Abuja has confirmed Usman Ododo as the Governor of Kogi State.
On Thursday, the court agreed with the earlier decision from the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal had already said that Ododo’s election win was valid.
The tribunal had dismissed a challenge by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka.
Legal Disputes
Newslodge reported earlier that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Usman Ododo from the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the winner of Kogi State’s Governorship Election on November 11, 2023.
The state Returning Officer, Prof Johnson Urama, who is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced Ododo as the winner at 10:23 PM on Sunday, November 12, 2023.
According to the results, Ododo got 446,237 votes. Murtala Ajaka from the SDP got 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) got 46,362 votes.
However, the SDP and Ajaka did not agree with the results. They asked the tribunal to cancel the results and hold a new election in about five local government areas (LGAs).
Arguments at the Tribunal
Ajaka’s legal team, led by Joseph Okutepa (SAN), argued that there were problems with the election. They said there was forgery, illegal voting, and that the election did not follow the rules.
The team brought 25 witnesses from Adavi, Okene, and other areas to challenge the results from specific polling units. They also claimed that there was too much voting in 5 LGAs including Adavi, Okene, and Okeyi.
However, the APC’s legal team, led by Emmanuel Ukala, questioned the witnesses’ competence since their statements were not submitted with the petition.
INEC’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), said the witnesses were not qualified because they did not create the election documents presented as evidence.
The tribunal dismissed the petition, saying that Ajaka’s team could not prove the governor had presented a fake certificate, among other issues.
Both sides then went to the appeal court to get a new judgment.
What the Appeal Court Said
- On Thursday, a three-judge panel at the appeal court agreed with the tribunal that Ajaka’s witnesses were not valid as their statements were not filed according to the law.
- The court also said the issue of the alleged fake certificate should have started at a Federal High Court.
- The appeal court concluded that Ajaka’s team could not prove their case “beyond reasonable doubt,” and therefore upheld Ododo’s election win.
More Insights
- A governor is an elected leader who manages the affairs of the state, including its finances and other resources.
- The tribunal’s judgment means that Ododo will continue as Kogi State’s governor, supported by the appeal court.
- Ododo succeeded ex-governor Yahaya Bello and previously worked as the Local Government Auditor-General in Kogi State.