Excitement as Appeal Court upholds Ododo’s election as Kogi governor

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday upheld the tribunal judgement that declared Usman Ododo of the All Progressive Congress as the valid winner of the Kogi governorship poll.

A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment, dismissed the appeal of the Social Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka.

The court held that the appellants failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt as required by law the allegations contained in their petition challenging Ododo’s election victory.

The appellate court said the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which sat in Abuja was right to have expunged the evidence of the first witness called by the petitioners for been hearsay documents.

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According to the court, the allegation of forgery of a document which Ajaka submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission is a pre-election matter which is handled by the Federal High Court and not the Tribunal.

The court held that the said action happened before the conduct of the November 11 governorship election in the state and as such, cannot be legislated upon by the Kogi election Tribunal.

Justice Otisi said, “The appellants failed to do as required by law. Affidavit of loss attached to form EC8 by the second defendant is by no means a certificate.

“I see no reason to disturb the decision of the lower Tribunal on the petition as the appellants have failed to prove their allegations contained in their petition.”

Having resolved all the issues raised in the appeal against the appellants, the court dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit and upheld the judgement of the tribunal.

“This appeal failed and it is hereby dismissed for lacking in merit. There is no order as to cost, parties are to bear their respective cost,” the court pronounced.

Likewise, the appeals challenging Ododo’s election filed by Action Alliance and its governorship candidate, Olayinka Braimoh and that of the Peoples Redemption Party and its governorship candidate, Abdullahi Bayawo were also dismissed for lacking in merit.

The tribunal had, on May 27, affirmed the victory of Ododo in the November 11, 2023 Kogi governorship poll.

The three-member panel of the Kogi Election Tribunal held that the petition was bereft of substance and accordingly dismissed it.

Ajaka and SDP dissatisfied with the Tribunal judgment approached the Court of Appeal for an order setting aside the judgement of the Tribunal, an order restoring the testimony of their first witness (PW1) as well as all the documents they tendered but expunged from the records of the Tribunal.

The appellants also requested the Appeal Court to hold that Ododo was not qualified to have contested the election into the office of Governor of Kogi State and that all votes ascribed and or allocated to him and the APC were wasted votes.

Kogi lauds Appeal court’s verdict on Ododo’s victory

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has hailed the verdict of the Appeal Court, Abuja that on Thursday upheld the victory of the state governor, Usman Ododo.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, made the government’s position known in an interview with journalists shortly after the judgment was delivered in Abuja.

Fanwo described the judgment as “sound,” adding that it represents “echoes of the indisputable victory” of the governor at the poll.

He said the governor remains unwavering in his faith in the judiciary.

The commissioner said, “Today’s judgment represents echoes of our victory on November 11, 2023. We campaigned round the state and worked hard to reassure the people that our party is the most reliable to take the state forward.

“November 11 will continue to be remembered in Kogi as the day that Kogites across the senatorial districts united to speak with one voice, birthing a resounding victory for the incumbent governor.

“Today’s verdict has offered another great opportunity for those who lost at the poll and in the courts to join the governor in moving the state forward.”

Fanwo said the court case did not in any way slow governance down as the governor has continued to “roll up his sleeves and deliver democracy dividends to the great people of the state.

“The jubilation that greeted the verdict affirming the victory of the Chief Servant of Kogi is a demonstration of the triumph of the people’s will.”

He urged the people of the state to continue to support the governor to make the state the Confluence of Excellence.