Tribunal Gives Verdict on Suit Seeking Sack of Kogi Governor Ododo

• The Kogi state governorship election petition tribunal has confirmed Usman Ododo as the rightful winner of the November 11
• The tribunal ruled that Ajaka failed to substantiate his claims that APC candidate Ododo did not secure the highest number of valid votes
• The Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) results showed that Ododo won with 446,237 votes

FCT, Abuja -The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, convening in Abuja, confirmed the governorship candidate of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo as the legitimate winner of the gubernatorial election held on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

The three-member panel, led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, dismissed the petition filed by Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, on Monday, May 27.

As reported by Vanguard, the tribunal concluded that Ajaka could not substantiate his claims that Ododo, the APC candidate, failed to secure the highest number of valid votes.

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Additionally, the tribunal rejected Ajaka's assertions that the election was plagued by irregularities and significant non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, The Sun reported.

The tribunal, however, found no grounds to overturn the results announced by INEC, which declared Ododo the winner with 446,237 votes. Ajaka came in second with 259,052 votes, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finished third with 46,362 votes.

Although Melaye chose not to contest the election results, Ajaka sought to have Ododo's certificate of return invalidated, but the tribunal upheld the election outcome.

Kogi governor Ododo visits President Tinubu

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Governor Ododo on Wednesday, May 15, paid a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja.

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In a statement, on Wednesday, May 15 by Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi commissioner for information and communications, president Tinubu expressed satisfaction with how Ododo handled the security situation in the state.

The Kogi commissioner for information and communications stated that the meeting between the two APC chieftains also touched on areas such as education, the welfare of the state's civil servants, primary healthcare delivery, and sundry other issues of interest.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng