Supreme Court Hears Final Arguments Seeking Sack of Kogi, Bayelsa Govs, Details Emerge

• The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Monday, August 19, began hearing and final resolutions of electoral disputes that arose in the conduct of governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states in 2023
• Safety arrangements were put in place to prevent security breaches in and outside court premises throughout the proceedings
• Legit.ng reports that in their bid for power and justice, Nigerian politicians often approach the court after elections

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering politics and elections in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - The Supreme Court has commenced hearing on the electoral disagreements that emerged during the conduct of some off-cycle elections in 2023.

As reported by Channels Television on Monday, August 19, 2024, the suits concern the polls in Kogi and Bayelsa states in November 2023.

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Recall that at the time, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Usman Ododo and Duoye Diri, as the winners of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa state respectively.

Legit.ng reports that Ododo is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while Diri represents the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In Kogi, Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is challenging the declarations made by INEC on the outcome of the election.

In the same vein, a former Bayelsa governor and ex-minister of petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva (APC), is pursuing the sack of Governor Diri. His (Sylva) party, the APC, alleged 'a conspiracy against democracy'.

Legit.ng reports that election litigations are considered a critical component of the democratic process in Nigeria, providing a legal avenue for political office seekers to address grievances and disputes arising from electoral activities.

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While these litigations are essential for upholding electoral integrity, they come with their own set of challenges.

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Supreme Court gives verdict on LG chairmen's tenure

In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a landmark judgement on local government autonomy, ordering that the four-year tenure of local government executives be extended to all local government chairmen across the country.

The judgement, delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba and six others aims to address the challenges faced by local government councils in exercising their constitutional powers and performing their statutory functions.

Source: Legit.ng