Supreme Court Validates Election Of Governor Bello Of Kogi State
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Supreme Court on Monday validated the election of Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kogi State governorship poll which held on November 16, 2019.
The seven-man panel of Justices of the apex Court in upholding the election of Bello, dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party which challenged the outcome of the Kogi November Governorship election.
The Justices led the Chief Justice of Nigeria (NJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad unanimously ruled and affirmed Governor Bello’s victory at the poll.
Delivering the lead judgment which was written by Justice Inyang Okoro but read on his behalf by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, the Supreme Court affirmed the July 4, 2020 ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja as well as the May 23, 2020 majority verdict of the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, both of which upheld the Bello’s victory at the poll.
The Supreme Court in resolving all the five issues raised for determination in the appeal by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Engr. Musa Wada, ruled the appellant’s appeal lacked merit.
According to the Justices of the apex Court; “Having resolved all the five issues against the appellants, it is abundantly clear that the appeal is devoid of any scintilla of merit and it is accordingly dismissed”.
The Justices of the Supreme Court that ruled on the appeal by the PDP and Engr. Wada are Justices Tanko, Okoro, Abba-Aji, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, Sylvester Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and Amina Augie.
