Supreme Court Affirms Election Of Yahaya Bello

Justice Sylvester Ngwata dismissed the appeal filed by Hon. James Faleke, the running mate to late Abubakar Audu, the initial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, and a former Governor of the State, Captain Idris Wada, who was also the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the election.

Recall that on August 4, 2016, a five-member panel of justices of the appellate court, had in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Jummai Sankey, upheld the verdict of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, which dismissed James Faleke’s petition.

While James Faleke’s petition was dismissed by the appellate court, in Wada’s appeal, Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya gave a dissenting judgment cancelling the election of Bello on the grounds that he was not validly nominated for the election following Audu’s death and that he failed to nominate a running mate before the election.

The court will given the ruling today also said it will provide reasons for its decision on September 30.

–Vanguard