JUST IN: Supreme Court sets final judgment day for Yahaya Bello
chuks oti
Aug 25, 2020
The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed Aug. 31 to deliver judgment in the appeal brought before it by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Musa Wada and his party against the election of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi.
READ ALSO: TRENDING: Ugwumba Uche Nwosu Returns To Imo State In Grand Style |WATCH VIDEO
Wada and PDP are challenging the re-election of Bello of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 16 November 2019 election.
READ ALSO: How a Catholic Priest Slumped and Died While Delivering Homily in Delta Church
The seven man panel of justices of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad on Tuesday fixed the date after parties in the appeal adopted their various written briefs.
READ ALSO: Bloodbath At Wedding: Bandits Kill 13, Abduct Many In Midnight Attack In Kaduna Community
The Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal had in a concurrent judgments affirmed Yahaya Bello's re-election on the grounds that Wada and his party failed to prove the allegations of electoral malpractices in their petition.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: 22 SANS Storm Supreme Court Over Buhari's Executive Order 10
Dissatisfied with the two judgments of the lower courts Wada moved to the supreme court for the setting aside of the concurrent judgements of the tribunal and that of the court of appeal.
READ ALSO: What ASUU Strike Has 'Done To Me' - Nigerian Student Reveals
He wants the apex court to set aside the judgments of the appellate court on the grounds that the Court of Appeal discarded evidence of rigging and violence in seven local government areas of the state.
READ ALSO: AF Television: The Main Issues Between ASUU and the Federal Govt |WATCH VIDEO
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bello, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the governorship poll, having won majority of votes cast and the spread threshold in the election.
However, four contestants and their parties, including Wada and the PDP, disagreed with INEC and subsequently approached the Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal to challenge the victory of Bello.
READ ALSO: Ofuji Ndị Igbo Sets 2026 Agenda, Promises Greater Community Engagement
The other petitioners are the Actions People's Party (APP); the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Democratic People's Party (DPP).
READ ALSO: Mother's Day: Abia Government Liaison Officer Honours Women, Says Mothers Shape Future Leaders
However, their petitions were all dismissed by the tribunal for lacking in merit.
READ ALSO: "Ikwuano Locked Down For Alex OttiÔÇØ - Monday Ubani SAN Sends Strong Message To Opposition
Similarly, the Court of Appeal agreed that the cases of the appellants lacked merit and even dismissed some with cost against some appellants.
READ ALSO: Crystal Palace Host Arsenal As 2022/23 EPL Kicks Off
The Court of Appeal had in its judgment held that the allegations of over-voting, multiple thumb-printing, and results falsification were not proved by the appellants.
READ ALSO: SERAP Gives CBN 7 Days To Explain Missing N100bn Dirty Notes
In the split ruling delivered by Justice Haruna Tsamani, the appellate court held that the appellants merely dumped documents on the tribunal without calling relevant witnesses to link the documents to the allegation of over-voting.
READ ALSO: TRENDING: Ugwumba Uche Nwosu Returns To Imo State In Grand Style |WATCH VIDEO
According to him, a party who alleges over-voting must tender the voter registers for the affected polling units and the results of the polling units, show how, without over-voting, the results would be in his or her favour.
READ ALSO: How a Catholic Priest Slumped and Died While Delivering Homily in Delta Church
While the majority judgment delivered by Justice Kashim Kaigama favoured Bello, the minority judgment delivered by Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele held that there was evidence of electoral malpractices in seven LGAs of the state.
READ ALSO: Bloodbath At Wedding: Bandits Kill 13, Abduct Many In Midnight Attack In Kaduna Community
Ovbiagele subsequently upturned Bello's victory and ordered a rerun in the seven affected local government areas of the state.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: 22 SANS Storm Supreme Court Over Buhari's Executive Order 10
Credits
Related Stories
Bloodbath At Wedding: Bandits Kill 13, Abduct Many In Midnight Attack In Kaduna Community
"Ikwuano Locked Down For Alex OttiÔÇØ - Monday Ubani SAN Sends Strong Message To Opposition
Mother's Day: Abia Government Liaison Officer Honours Women, Says Mothers Shape Future Leaders
Why ICPC Is Prosecuting Mike Ozekhome Over a London Property Deal That Has Shaken Nigeria's Legal Circle | READ DETAILS
Ofuji Ndị Igbo Sets 2026 Agenda, Promises Greater Community Engagement
How a Catholic Priest Slumped and Died While Delivering Homily in Delta Church
""
— chuks oti