Governorship Tussle: Uzodinma, Diri, Ododo win at Supreme Court

By Ameh Ochojila, Sodiq Omolaoye (Abuja) and Ibrahim Obansa (Lokoja) Abuja 

24 August 2024   |   5:11 americium

Ododo, Supporters Applaud Judgment

The Supreme Court, connected Friday, affirmed the re-election of the governors of Imo and Bayelsa states, adjacent arsenic the governorship campaigner of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yakubu Ajaka, failed successful his bid to invalidate the November 11, 2023, predetermination of Usman Ahmed Ododo arsenic the Governor of Kogi State. 

 
The Supreme Court dismissed the entreaty filed by the SDP for lacking successful merit and successful substance.  A pb judgement delivered by Justice Sadiq Abubakar Umar threw retired the entreaty of Ajaka aft resolving each the 3 issues successful quality against him. 
 
The Supreme Court unanimously determination held that Ajaka failed to springiness cogent and verifiable grounds successful the bid of allegations against Ododo.  Besides, Justice Umar said that astir of the allegations were pre-election matters which ought to person been taken to the Federal High Court for solution earlier the election. 
 
The Supreme Court consequently dismissed the entreaty but did not grant outgo against the appellants.  Justice Umar upheld the decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, which had earlier dismissed the grievances of Ajaka against the election. 
 
Similarly, the pb judgement delivered by Justice Garba Lawal affirmed the re-election of Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, dismissing the entreaty by Timipre Sylva, campaigner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) successful the November 11, 2023, off-cycle election.

The Supreme Court held that the entreaty by Sylvia and APC was not lone lacking successful merit but a gross maltreatment of tribunal process. The unanimous determination of the Supreme Court upheld the earlier determination of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal. 

 
Delivering judgement connected Imo State governorship election, Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, held that the entreaty against the triumph of Hope Uzodinma of the APC was lacking successful merit and accordingly dismissed the same. 
 
The 2 abstracted appeals brought by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the declaration of Uzodinma arsenic the elected politician of Imo authorities were dismissed. 
 
The appeals by the LP governorship candidate, Athan Achonu and that of PDP, Samuel Anyawu, were rejected for privation of merit. The Supreme Court consequently upheld Uzodinma arsenic the lawfully elected governor. 
 
In the pb judgement delivered by Idris, the tribunal held that the LP and PDP gubernatorial candidates failed to found allegations of implicit voting and different malpractices successful the November 11,2023 poll. 
 
The unanimous decisions of the Supreme Court upheld the earlier decisions of the Court of Appeal and that of Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which sat successful Abuja and dismissed the petitions successful their abstracted judgments.
 
Addressing journalists astatine his residence successful Abuja soon aft the Supreme Court ruling, Ododo commended the tribunal for withstanding intimidation and delivering its judgment.
 
Describing the judiciary arsenic the past anticipation of the communal man, Ododo said: “I consciousness elated not conscionable due to the fact that of our triumph but astir however the judiciary held onto the constituent of the instrumentality and ensured justness successful this matter. The judiciary remains the past anticipation of the communal man. 
 
“They were threatened; they were called names; they were intimidated but they person held onto the constituent of law. This triumph is not astir maine but for the radical that trooped retired connected November 11, past year, to vote.”

 Meanwhile, residents of Lokoja, the superior of Kogi State, trooped retired successful their numbers to observe the triumph of the politician astatine the Supreme Court.