A five-man panel of the Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the appeals regarding the Kogi and Bayelsa States governorship elections, filed by Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Both Ajaka and Sylva challenged the declarations made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the outcomes of the 2023 governorship elections in their respective states.
On Monday, the Supreme Court announced it would reserve judgment in these cases.
Ajaka had previously appealed a decision by a three-member tribunal that upheld Ahmed Usman Ododo of the APC as the governor of Kogi. Following the Appeal Court’s ruling in June, Ajaka claimed the judgment was marred by irregularities and manipulation.
The Appeal Court had affirmed the tribunal’s decision, dismissing Ajaka’s petition as lacking merit. After the judgment, Ajaka stated he would appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision and emphasized that his efforts to reclaim his mandate are not confined to the appellate court’s decision.
He said, “We must remain relentless in our pursuit of justice. We cannot afford to be deterred by setbacks or disheartened by temporary defeats. Our cause is justice and our determination will not waver. We must stand united and continue to support our legal team as they navigate these complex legal waters on our behalf.
“I want to assure you, our political followers, that victory is within our grasp. We firmly believe that the truth will prevail, and justice will be served. We have full faith in the Nigerian judicial system, and we are confident that the apex court will rectify the injustices that have been inflicted upon us once again.”
On his part, Sylva in May, expressed dissatisfaction with the result of the governorship election in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru.
The Tribunal had in its judgment delivered May 17, 2024, in Abuja, upheld the election and the return of Senator Douye Diri and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Eruwjadkpo as lawfully elected governor and deputy respectively, leading Sylva to file for an appeal.
In July, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the appeal challenging the judgment of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Justice James Abundaga, who delivered the lead judgment, upheld the declaration of Douye Diri and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winners of the November 11, 2023, poll.
The court also awarded N500,000 in costs to be paid by the APC and Timipre Sylva to the respondents in the appeal.
The appellate court determined that the appellants failed to provide credible evidence that the election was conducted in 184 polling units in Nembe, Ogbia, and Southern Ijaw.
Additionally, it found that, based on the evidence and exhibits presented, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not conducted the election in the disputed areas, making the issue of vote collation irrelevant.
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