Politics

Judgment Day In Kogi As Supreme Court Gives Final Verdict

August 31, 2020

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There is palpable anxiety among residents and indigenes of Kogi State as they await the final verdict of the Supreme Court over last year’s governorship election.

Last week, the court adjourned till today Monday ruling in two cases, challenging Governor Yahaya Bello’s victory.

The court had dismissed the case of the Democratic People’s Party, DPP alleging undue exclusion from the November 16th Governorship poll.

The pending cases are those of candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, Engr. Musa Wada and the Social Democratic Party, SDP Natasha Akpoti.

Their parties are also involved in the suits.

Governor Yahaya Bello is of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The appeals filed by Wada were by the court on Tuesday, 25 August 2020.

The appeals include SC 388/2020: Musa Atayi Wada & Anor V. INEC & 2 ors which was filed by Engr Musa Wada and his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Gov Yahaya Bello and the All Progressive Congress (APC).

On May 23, 2020, the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which sat in Abuja in a split judgement of two to one affirmed the declaration and return of Yahaya Bello by INEC as the validly elected governor of Kogi State.

The Tribunal unanimously resolved other petitions filed against Governor Bello’s election in favour of the governor.

Dissatisfied, the aggrieved parties and their candidates appealed.

But the Court of Appeal Abuja Division on 4 July 2020, dismissed all the four appeals brought by the PDP, All People’s Party, APP, the SDP) and the Democratic People’s Party, DPP

The Appeal court threw away all the complaints forcing three of the parties PDP, SDP and DPP to proceed to the Supreme Court.

DPP has had its own case trashed.

Now the court will decide on the PDP and SDP cases.

Kogi waits with bated breadth.

*Text culled from PM News.