The Governor of Kogi, Alhaji Usman Ododo, has said that the time for real work for the development of the state has come following the dismissal of the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Murtala Ajaka against his election.
Reacting to the judgment of the three-member of Justices of the Tribunal in Abuja, which affirmed his election Ododo called on Ajaka and other politicians to join hands with him to develop the state.
He told journalists in Abuja that his victory at the Tribunal is for the good people of Kogi State who voted for him massively during the off-cycle election held on November 11 in the state.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for not interfering in the affairs of the Judiciary, which the governor said, is the last hope of the common man.
Governor Ododo said, that the courageous judgment of the Tribunal, has indeed proved that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man and praised the Tribunal for doing justice in the petition against his election.
The governor said his victory at the Tribunal will spur him to work hard in bringing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Kogi.
Ododo however said Kogi is still mourning the death of two students of the Kogi State University who were kidnapped and murdered by gunmen.
He said he had wished they were alive to celebrate his victory with him as they also voted for him during the election.
The governor however assured that the murderers of the students will be arrested and will be brought to book.
A three-member panel of Justices of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday affirmed Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Kogi.
The Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the SDP, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, and his party on the ground that, they failed to prove the allegations contained in their joint petition.
The panel, led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, held in the unanimous judgment that Ajaka and his party failed to present credible evidence to prove their case in accordance with the law.
The tribunal held that contrary to Section 135 of the Electoral Act, the petitioners failed to demonstrate that the alleged irregularities during the November 11 governorship election in Kogi were significant enough to affect the general outcome of the election.
The petitioners had argued that the candidate of the APC in the election was wrongly declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having failed to substantially comply with the relevant laws and regulations.
The petitioners also told the Tribunal that Governor Ododo was not qualified to contest the election at the time it was held.
The court in its judgment held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations in their petition beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.
“I hold that the November 11 governorship election of Kogi is conducted in substantial compliance with the law and the petition is accordingly dismissed,” the Tribunal held.
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