The Supreme Court on Monday, dismissed the petition of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its candidate, Musa Wada against the declaration of Governor Yahaya Bello of All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the November 16 Kogi election.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, presided over a seven-man panel affirming Bello’s election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in an unanimous decision.
Justice Uwani Abba-Aji read the lead judgment prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro, sustaining 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.
The supreme court resolved all the five issues raised for determination in the appeal against the PDP and its governorship candidate in the disputed poll, Musa Wada, who jointly filed the appeal.
Deciding all the five issues in favour of Bello, his party, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the supreme court declared the petitioners’ appeal as lacking in merit.
“Having resolved all the five issues against the appellants, it is abundantly clear that the appeal is devoid of any scintilla of merit and it is accordingly dismissed,” the court ruled.
Aside from the CJN, Justices Okoro and Abba-Aji, other members of the panel who also agreed with the lead judgments were, Justices Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, Sylvester Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and Amina Augie.
The court is about to deliver judgment on the appeal filed by the Socialist Democratic Party and its candidate, Natasha Akpoti, also challenging Bello’s victory at the poll.
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