Kogi Governorship Tribunal-Confirm Usman Ododo’s Election-Victory (Details)

Kogi Governorship Tribunal-Confirm Usman Ododo’s Election-Victory (Details)

The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, affirmed on Monday that Usman Ahmed Ododo is the duly elected governor of Kogi State. This ruling came after the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka.

The judgment was delivered by a three-member panel led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu. The tribunal upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Ododo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as the winner of the November 11, 2023 election.

INEC’s State Returning Officer, Professor Johnson Urama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced the results on November 12, 2023. Ododo secured 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the SDP, who garnered 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 46,362 votes.

Ajaka and the SDP had contested the election results, citing allegations of over-voting and forgery of personal documents submitted to INEC. They requested the tribunal to order a fresh election in five local government areas, including Adavi, Okene, and Okehi.

Ajaka’s legal team, led by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), based their petition on claims of forgery, over-voting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. However, the APC’s legal team, led by Emmanuel Ukala, and INEC’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), challenged the competence and credibility of the petitioners’ witnesses and the submitted evidence.

The tribunal, in its judgment, sided with the respondents. Justice Birnin-Kudu noted that according to Supreme Court decisions on the 2023 presidential and governorship elections, witness statements must be filed along with the petition and not during the hearing. He stated, “The petitioners have failed to file their witness statements (PW1) on oath along with the petition, within the given time,” and deemed the oral evidence provided by the petitioners’ witnesses as hearsay since they were not the makers of the exhibits presented.

Consequently, the tribunal dismissed the petition and affirmed the election of Usman Ododo. Ododo succeeded former Governor Yahaya Bello after previously serving as the Auditor-General for Local Governments in Kogi State.

Published By: Destiny.Jnr