Court Of Appeal Affirms Ododo As Kogi State Governor, Dismisses Ajaka’s Petition

Court Of Appeal Affirms Ododo As Kogi State Governor, Dismisses Ajaka’s Petition

The Court of Appeal in Abuja reaffirmed Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State on Thursday. In a unanimous judgment by a panel of three justices, the court held that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, failed to substantiate their claims against Ododo’s election as required by law…….. CONTINUE READING

The appellate court supported the earlier decision of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja to dismiss hearsay evidence presented by the petitioners. It also ruled that allegations of document forgery submitted by Ododo to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) constitute a pre-election matter under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, not the Tribunal.

Having thoroughly considered all arguments, the Court of Appeal concluded that the appeal lacked merit and upheld the Tribunal’s judgment. The Tribunal had previously affirmed Ododo’s victory in the November 11, 2023, Kogi State governorship election, dismissing the petition for lack of substance.

Ajaka and the SDP had sought to overturn the Tribunal’s decision at the Court of Appeal, requesting the restoration of expunged witness testimony and documents, and challenging Ododo’s eligibility and the validity of votes cast for him and the APC.