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| Governor Usman Ododo |
The tribunal concurred with the defense that the accusations of document forgery mentioned in the petition were matters of pre-election concern, which should have been addressed within 14 days of submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, convening in Abuja on Monday, validated the electoral win of Governor Usman Ododo from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023, election.
Presided over by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, the tribunal's three-judge panel concluded that the petition lacked merit and was thus dismissed.
The tribunal determined that the petitioners, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, did not substantiate their claims of over-voting and violations of the Electoral Act, 2022.
In a unanimous decision, the panel deemed all submitted witness testimonies as flawed and inconsistent.
The tribunal concurred with the defense that the accusations of document forgery mentioned in the petition were matters of pre-election concern, which should have been addressed within 14 days of submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
As reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kogi conducted its staggered election on Nov. 11, 2023, where Ododo of the APC triumphed over his main competitor, Ajaka of the SDP, by a significant margin.
Ajaka, not satisfied with the election result, lodged a complaint with the tribunal, contesting Ododo's triumph.
The proceedings, which began in December 2023, peaked on May 13 when the SDP, Ajaka, APC, Ododo, and INEC presented their final written submissions, after which the tribunal adjourned to deliberate on the verdict.
INEC, Ododo, and the APC requested the tribunal to reject the SDP and Ajaka's petition for being baseless and devoid of merit.
Represented by their attorneys; Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN; Joseph Daudu, SAN; and Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, they argued their case during the adoption of their final written statements.
On the contrary, Ajaka's attorney, Pius Akubo, SAN, implored the tribunal to ignore the defense's pleas and to validate their petition.
