Politics
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A federal high court in Abuja dismisses all the five suits filed against holding a supplementary election in 91 polling stations in Kogi State
A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja on Friday, December 4, gave the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, the permission to hold its planned supplementary election in Kogi State.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the federal high court in Abuja, who ruled on five suits filed before the court, said while the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case, the INEC should continue with the supplementary election in 91 polling units as scheduled.
Kolawole also said that if after the election, any arising grievances should be directed to the governorship election tribunal.
He said only the election tribunal cold entertain the case.
He also advised the political parties to either approach the tribunal or address the intra-party issues among the political parties.
Kolawale also struck out the suits by the Idris Wada, current governor of Kogi State and James Faleke, running mate to the Prince Abubakar Audu, candidate of the All Peoples Congress, APC, in the governorship election in the state.
The judge in his ruling said both Faleke and Wada’s case lacked merit.
On Thursday, December 3, ruling on the matter was adjourned after parties involved adopted all final written addresses on legal submissions and applications following the death of Audu.
Faleke had filed a suit over the decision of the INEC to declare the Saturday, November 21 Kogi election inconclusive.
Faleke asked to court to compel the electoral body to declare him winner of the election because he held a joint ticket with Audu. He also asked the court to stop the INEC from conducting a supplementary election in 91 polling units as scheduled for Saturday, December 5. The APC has since picked Yahaya Bello, who came second in the primaries which gave Audu the party ticket, to step in as the party candidate, while it retained Faleke as the running mate.
Similarly, Wada who is also the flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a suit asked the court to declare him (Wada) winner of the Kogi election
Wada based his suit on the grounds that he was the second runner in the election and got the highest votes after the late APC candidate.
Also, Emmanuel Daiko, candidate for the People for Democratic Change, PDC, in a third suit asked the court to order the INEC to conduct a fresh election in the state.
Daiko said it would be illegal for the APC to substitute its deceased candidate. The suit was supported by a fourth one filed by Raphael Igbokwe, a PDP member of the House of Representative from Imo State.
Contrary to all four suits, a fifth one filed by Johnson Usman, a lawyer, asked the court to compel the electoral body to stop all electoral activities in the state pending the determination of the suits.
Apart from Kogi State, Bayelsa State is equally holding governorship election on Saturday, December 5. The contest seems to have been narrowed to a contest between Governor Seriake Dickson of the PDP and Timipreye Sylva, former governor and candidate of the APC.
At press time, situation was generally calm in the whole state, while thousands of police deployed in the state were at high alert.
— Dec 4, 2015 @ 17:45 GMT
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