Supreme Court Reserves Judgement on Suit Seeking Sack of Ododo as Kogi Governor

• On Monday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Murtala Ajaka, the candidate of the SDP, challenging the election victory of Usman Ododo
• Ajaka had appealed the judgment of a three-member tribunal that affirmed the election of Ahmed Usman Ododo of APC as governor of Kogi
• However, after the Appeal Court judgment in June, Ajaka alleged that the judgement was influenced by some irregularities and manipulations

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

On Monday, August 19, the Supreme Court, reserved judgement in the appeal filed against the election tribunal and appeal court judgements by Murtala Ajaka, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Kogi governorship election.

Ajaka vs Ododo: The Supreme Court decision on Monday

Read also

Kogi governorship election: Supreme Court takes decision on Ajaka’s crucial request

Earlier, the apex court declined Ajaka’s counsel’s request to establish a full panel to hear and determine his appeal.

At the hearing on Monday, Pius Akubo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that he had applied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to allow a full panel of the Supreme Court to hear the appeal in view of Paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29 of the appellant’s brief of argument, The Punch reported.

Akubo had argued that the five-member panel presently constituted should be increased to seven justices. But lawyers for the respondents kicked against the application and urged the court to proceed with the hearing.

As reported by The Nation, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 3rd respondent, argued that there was a decision of the Supreme Court that a five-member panel could take an application for departure from a previous decision.

Read also

Just in: Supreme Court takes decision on suit seeking sack of Diri as Bayelsa governor

In a short ruling, Justice Garba Lawal, who led the five-member panel, held that election appeals are time-bound and that the court constituted as a five-member panel had the jurisdiction to determine the appeal as presented, PremiumTimes reported.

Ododo vs Ajaka's case

Legit.ng reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Ododo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Kogi governorship election held on November 11, 2023.

Ododo polled 446,237 votes to defeat Ajaka who came second with 259,052 votes; and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 46,362 votes.

After the poll, the SDP and Ajaka filed petitions to challenge Ododo’s victory.

Aggrieved by the decision of the tribunal, SDP and its candidate approached the court of appeal.

Kogi governor Ododo visits President Tinubu

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

Read also

Supreme Court hears final arguments seeking sack of Kogi, Bayelsa govs, details emerge

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.

Source: Legit.ng