Kogi guber: Tribunal dismisses SDP’s Ajaka petition, upholds APC’s Ododo election
The election victory of Governor Usman Ododo of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023 poll on Monday was affirmed by the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
According to reports, Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu-led three-man panel of justices held that the petition was bereft of substance and accordingly dismissed.
The tribunal held that the petitioners, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, failed to prove the allegations of over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 in the petition, adding that all the witness evidence filed before it were incompetent and full of inconsistencies.
It also agreed with the respondents’ submissions that the allegations of forgery raised in the petition were pre-election matters, which should have been raised 14 days after the documents were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It would be recalled that Kogi had, on Nov. 11, 2023, held its off-cycle election in which Ododo of the APC emerged as the winner, beating his closest rival, Ajaka of the SDP, with a wide margin.
NAN
