Tribunal reserves judgement in Kogi governorship election dispute

The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved its judgement in the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the emergence of Governor Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 polls.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, and Ododo himself had requested the tribunal to dismiss Ajaka’s petition on the grounds of incompetence and lack of merit.

This stance was presented by their respective legal representatives, Kanu Agabi, Joseph Daudu, and Emmanuel Ukala, as they concluded their final written arguments.

On the other hand, Ajaka’s counsel, Pius Akubo, urged the tribunal to disregard Ododo’s submissions and uphold their own.

Following a thorough examination of all the involved parties, the tribunal, presided over by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, has decided to defer the judgment to a later date, which will be communicated to all parties.

INEC had previously declared Ododo as the winner of the highly contested Kogi State Governorship Election, which took place on November 11, 2023.

Ododo, a close associate of former Governor Yahaya Bello, emerged victorious with a total of 446,237 votes, surpassing his closest competitor, Ajaka of the SDP, who received 259,052 votes. Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 46,362 votes.

Both Ododo and Melaye have expressed concerns regarding the election, citing irregularities.

Subsequently, the SDP candidate has taken the matter to court, challenging the outcome of the poll.