The Supreme Court on Monday, August 31, confirmed Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the governorship election in Kogi state.
The court in a seven-man panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Musa Wada.
The apex court affirmed the earlier July 4, 2020 judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja and verdicts of the election petition tribunal, which had both upheld Bello’s victory at the poll.
The Monday’s judgments affirm the validity of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State.
Both PDP and SDP, along with their governorship candidates in the election, had alleged that the poll was marred by corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provision of the Nigerian Constitutuon, the Electoral Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Electoral Guidelines.
But the apex court dismissed the appeals on the grounds that the allegations, including the charges by SDP against Bello’s running mate and now Kogi State Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, that he falsified documents, submitted false information to INEC and not qualified to contest the November 2019 poll were not proved by the appellants.
The lead judgment on PDP’s appeal was prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro but read on his behalf by another member of the panel, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji.
Justice Abba-Aji who was the only member of the panel present in court on Monday read the lead judgment prepared by her.
The apex court affirmed the earlier July 4, 2020 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja and the May 23, 2020 majority verdict of the election petition tribunal which had both upheld the Bello’s victory at the poll.
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