Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal by Dino Melaye, challenging election of Senator Smart Adeyemi as winner of November 2019 by-election in Kogi West Senatorial District.
A three-man panel of the court, led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, unanimously resolved all seven issues, identified for determination, against the appellant – Melaye and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The panel upheld the judgment delivered on June 10, 2020 by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed the declaration of Adeyemi as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appellate court, which struck out Adeyemi’s preliminary objection, awarded N50,000 costs against Melaye and in favour of the respondents.
The court also struck out the cross-appeal by Adeyemi and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and awarded N50,000 cost against them.
