ABUJA – Justice Sylvester Ngwata led seven-man Supreme Court panel yesterday, affirmed Mr Yahaya Bello as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State.
The Nigeria’s apex court also dismissed all the appeals filed by all the parties against Bello’s election last year.
The verdict which came after their lordships have listened to the closing statements of all counsels in the appealed case brings to an end, all cases involved the legal tussle.
However, the court did not provide reasons for its decision. This it promised giving on September 30, 2016.
There had been four appeals against the Court of Appeal rulings with the Supreme Court expected to decide if Mr Bello should continue as Kogi governor or vacate office.
One of the appeals was by the immediate past governor of the state and candidate of the opposition PDP, Idris Wada, while another was by Mr James Faleke who was the deputy governorship candidate to late Abubakar Audu.
Mr James Faleke of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had challenged the decision of the Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal which upheld the election of Yahaya Bello as the validly elected governor.
Mr James Falake was the deputy governorship candidate to late Abubakar Audu who died before the conclusion of the governorship election that was to see him elected as governor.
Yahaya Bello was then presented by the party, All Progressives Congress (APC) as replacement for Audu, a decision Mr Faleke challenged, arguing that he should have stepped into the position, having together with the late Audu gone through the election process.
He approached the Supreme Court after being dissatisfied with the judgement of the election tribunal and Appeal Court which both upheld Yahaya’s eligibility.
It is expected that Kogi State would be peaceful in spite of the judgment which would be met with different reactions by parties involved.
The Kogi State Police Command had warned that it would deal decisively, in accordance of the law, with anyone caught taking laws into his hands, as the Supreme Court delivers its judgment.
The State Police Commissioner, Abdullahi Chafi, gave the warning while addressing newsmen at his office on Friday.
The CP further stressed that intelligent report reaching the command revealed that some miscreants were planning to create crisis before, during and after the Supreme Court judgement.
While warning parents to caution their wards, political party heads and their supporters, he said that his command was fully ready to deal with whoever disobeys the law.
He also placed a ban on any kind of public celebration by anybody or groups after the court judgement.
