Politics
Smart Adeyemi loses appeal as court affirms Ododo as Kogi APC guber candidate

The court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed Ahmed Ododo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed two separate appeals filed by aggrieved aspirants — Smart Adeyemi and Abubakar Yahaya-Ashemogu.
The panel, led by Muhammed Shuaibu, held that the appellants failed to prove their allegations that Ododo was elected through an invalid primary.
The court held that Adeyemi, former senator representing Kogi west, raised criminal allegations that ought to have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge held that the APC placed sufficient evidence before the trial court to justify the outcome of the party’s primary poll.
“The evidence placed before the trial court by the respondents was not controverted by the appellant,” the lead justice said.
“Where commission of a crime is an issue, it must be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
“Allegation of falsification of votes is a criminal act and it is required in law to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, which the appellant could not prove.
“On the whole, the appeal is un-meritorious and it is hereby dismissed.
“The judgement of the lower court is hereby affirmed. Parties are to bear their respective cost.”
THE KOGI APC PRIMARY
Ododo, a former local government auditor-general in the state, scored 78, 704 votes to beat six other contestants in the APC primary.
Salami Momodu got 1,506 votes, Yahaya-Ashemogu secured 1,159 and Abubakar Audu polled 763.
Stephen Ocheni garnered 552 votes, Sanusi Ohiare had 424, and Smart Adeyemi got 311 votes.
Adeyemi subsequently approached the Abuja federal high court with a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/556/2023, seeking the invalidation of the guber primary.
Yahaya-Ashemogu also filed a separate suit to challenge the outcome of the election.
In a judgment delivered on July 12, James Omotosho, the trial judge, dismissed the suit for lacking merit.
Politics
No sane person will go to tribunal over election results, says Melaye

Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the just concluded Kogi governorship election, says no sane person will go to the tribunal over the results of an election.
Melaye spoke on Wednesday during a briefing with the media in Abuja.
The politician alleged that the judiciary has been compromised.
“Judiciary is no longer the last hope of the ordinary people,” he said.
“Why should any responsible person go to the tribunal? I have lost complete confidence in the judiciary.”
On November 12, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Usman Ododo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Kogi governorship election.
Ododo polled 446, 237 votes to defeat Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who came second with 259,052 votes.
Melaye of the PDP scored 46,362 votes.
During the poll, the PDP candidate had said there were problems in Ogori Magongo LGA and five LGAs in Kogi central.
“That was a huge disappointment because I thought INEC would use this opportunity to redeem its image,” he had said.
Politics
Appeal court dismisses NNPP’s petition, affirms Kefas Agbu as Taraba governor

The court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed Kefas Agbu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the duly elected governor of Taraba state.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, the appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by Muhammad Yahaya and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for being defective.
Peter Affen, who delivered the lead judgment, faulted the appellants for transmitting an incomplete record of appeal which cannot be heard.
Agbu had polled 257,926 votes to defeat Yahaya who got 202,277 votes in the election.
Yahaya and his party challenged the result and asked the tribunal to nullify Agbu’s victory on the grounds that the election was marred by non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
They also alleged that Agbu did not get the majority of lawful votes cast.
However, the tribunal led by G.A Sunmonu held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations.
The NNPP and its candidate went further to appeal the tribunal’s judgment.
However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.
Politics
Appeal Court affirms Fubara as Rivers state governor, dismisses Tonye-Cole petition

An Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State has affirmed the election of Siminalayi Fubara as the governor of Rivers State.
The court dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Patrick Tonye-Cole, against Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the courtroom on Tuesday, the APC candidate requested that the court order INEC to declare him the winner of the March governorship election in Rivers.
Cole’s case contesting Fubara’s election as governor was initially dismissed by the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in October.
Dissatisfied with the tribunal’s judgment, the APC candidate approached the appellate court.
However, the court on Tuesday upheld the Tribunal ruling, which affirmed Fubara’s victory in October.
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