Kogi Guber: Supreme Court Rejects Ajaka’s Appeal
Kogi Guber: Supreme Court Rejects Ajaka’s Appeal
Kogi Guber: Tribunal Gives INEC 2 Days To Grant SDP Access To Election Materials
The Kogi governorship election petition tribunal has mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to furnish the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with certified copies of electoral materials related to the November 11 off-cycle election within 48 hours. This directive encompasses allowing the SDP’s forensic experts to examine specific electoral materials crucial to their case. The tribunal’s ruling, delivered in Lokoja on Saturday by Chairman Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, was prompted by motions filed by the SDP and its governorship candidate, Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka, seeking access to materials necessary to challenge the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election. Among the materials requested are the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and result sheets from various Local Government Areas including Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi, and Bassa. Justice Birnin-Kudu emphasized the importance of timely access to these materials to facilitate a smooth judicial process within the constitutional and electoral legal frameworks. In response to the tribunal’s order, lead counsel to the petitioners, John Adele (SAN), highlighted their challenges in obtaining these materials from INEC since November 13, stressing the urgency of the situation. The tribunal adjourned the case to November 29 for INEC to report compliance and for further hearings. The SDP, represented by Mr. Ajaka, aims to contest the victory of APC and its candidate, Usman Ododo, who was declared the winner with 446,237 votes, while Mr. Ajaka garnered 259,052 votes in the election.
APC’s Ododo Emerges Winner In Kogi Guber Race, Defeating Ajaka, Melaye
The November 11, 2023 Kogi State Governorship Election concluded with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo, emerging victorious, as announced by the State Returning Officer, Prof Johnson Urama, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The declaration came late Sunday night, marking the end of a keenly-contested race. Ododo secured a significant win with 446,237 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who garnered 259,052 votes. Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trailed with 46,362 votes. The APC candidate dominated over half of the 21 local government areas (LGAs) in Kogi. As an ex-Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Governor Yahaya Bello, Ododo was the governor’s anointed candidate, seeking to succeed in the wake of Bello’s double terms of eight years. However, the electoral process was not without controversy. Melaye and civil rights groups raised concerns about “filled result sheets” in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area, leading to the suspension of the election in nine wards by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC subsequently announced that fresh polls would be conducted in 59 polling units in the affected area on November 18, 2023. The condition for holding these polls is subject to the Returning Officer’s determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle. In his late Sunday declaration, Urama highlighted that the total number of Permanent Voter Cards in the affected polling units was 16,247, which seemed insignificant compared to the substantial lead of about 200,000 votes garnered by the APC candidate ahead of Ajaka. The rejection of the election outcome by both Ajaka and Melaye stems from their expressed disappointment in INEC and security agencies, whom they accuse of collusion with the ruling APC in Kogi. The political aftermath of the Kogi State Governorship Election underscores the complex dynamics and contentious issues surrounding the electoral process in the state.
We’re Investigating Pre-Filled Result Sheets In Kogi Voting Centres -INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a response to the allegations of pre-filled result sheets in Kogi State during the ongoing governorship election. Leading election observer group, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) had raised alarm over prefilled result sheets in some polling units. The forged sheets showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) were winning the gubernatorial election. Reacting to the development, INEC vowed to review and investigate the incident. The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a report that filled result sheets were discovered in some polling units in Kogi State. “The Commission views this situation seriously. Our senior officials deployed to the State are currently investigating the incident(s). “The Commission will communicate its decision earnestly.” Meanwhile, Usman Ododo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Kogi governorship, has expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and orderly nature of the ongoing election in the state. Ododo, after casting his ballot at his polling unit, lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their management of the electoral process. “I commend INEC management for how far it’s going, and as you can see, the election is peaceful and orderly,” he stated on Saturday.
INEC Alerted Of Malpractice As Pre-Filled Results Sheets Surface In Kogi Polling Units
Yiaga Africa, a popular election observer group, has sounded the alarm over disturbing reports of pre-filled election results emerging from various polling units in the ongoing governorship election in Kogi state. In a statement released on its verified X platform on Saturday, Yiaga Africa urgently called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate and address the reported cases of election malpractice promptly. The group expressed concern about the potential impact on the integrity of the election process. “Dear @inecnigeria, we received reports of pre-filled results sheets discovered in PU 004, Eni Ward of Ogori/magongo in Kogi state before the commencement of voting. Kindly investigate and address this issue promptly to safeguard the integrity of the process,” the statement read. The election observer group highlighted another case of pre-filled results sheets, this time in PU 020, Eika/Ohizenyi, Okehi LGA of Kogi state. These alarming revelations surfaced barely an hour into the voting process, which commenced around 8:30 am. Meanwhile, as the residents head to the voting centres to elect their new governor, the Nigerian Army has initiated a lockdown of key highways in the capital city and other regions notorious for electoral violence in the State. Roadblocks were mounted on the highway and vehicular movement was restricted with exception of those rendering essential services.
Kogi Guber: Court orders security agencies to protect SDP’s Ajaka
Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered security agencies in the country to provide maximum security to the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in the November governorship election in Kogi State, Murtala Ajaka. The order is following an ex-parte application made before the court by the governorship flagbearer, dated July 11, seeking a restraining order against the security agencies from arresting, inviting, detaining, or threatening the applicant’s life and property pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. By the order, the security agencies which include the Chief of Defence Staff, Army, Navy, DSS and Police are to guarantee the safety of the SDP candidate, pending the hearing of a suit filed before the court. Defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2023, are the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, the Inspector General (IG) of Police, the Commissioner of Police (Kogi State), DSS, the Director General of DSS, Director DSS (Kogi State), Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Naval Staff as 1st to 11th respondents, respectively. The court held that Ajaka’s request through his counsel, Mr. Sunday Aruwa, SAN, was meritorious and accordingly granted it as prayed. “An Order is hereby made restraining the respondents, their agents, servants and anybody acting through or under them from arresting, inviting, detaining or threatening the applicant’s life and property pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. “An Order is hereby made compelling the 2nd – 11th respondents to immediately provide maximum security to the applicant in Abuja FCT, Kogi State, and elsewhere in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”, the judge ruled. Before adjourning to July 21 for a hearing, the court ordered the applicant to serve the respondents with all the processes in this suit together with the Order of the Court. Before the court’s order on Thursday, Ajaka had earlier petitioned Governor Yahaya Bello to the IGP, Mr Olukayode Egbetokun over an alleged threat to his life, as well as that of members of his family.