Court Holds Back Verdict in Kogi Governor Election Dispute

The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, located in Abuja, has decided to defer its judgment on the petition brought forward by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and their governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the election win of Governor Usman Ododo from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the recent session, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC, and Ododo himself requested the tribunal to reject Ajaka’s petition, citing its incompetence and lack of merit.

Represented by their legal counsels Kanu Agabi, Joseph Daudu, and Emmanuel Ukala, they presented their final written arguments.

On the other hand, Ajaka’s counsel, Pius Akubo, urged the tribunal to disregard Ododo’s arguments and support theirs. Following the presentations from all sides, Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, leading the tribunal, decided to postpone the judgment to a later date, which will be communicated to both parties.

The November 11, 2023 Kogi State Governorship Election was won by Ododo, who was declared the winner by INEC. He secured 446,237 votes, surpassing Ajaka of the SDP, who received 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 46,362 votes. Both Ododo and Melaye alleged irregularities in the election, leading to the SDP candidate’s legal challenge against the election outcome.