The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Saturday affirmed the election of Governor Yahaya Bello as the authentic winner of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State.
In the same vein, the tribunal fined the Peoples Democratic Party,( PDP), and its candidate N500,000.
In its ruling, the three-man Justices, led by Justice Kashim G. Kaigama, in a majority judgement; dismissed the petition of PDP governorahip candidate in the election, Engr. Musa Wada for lack of merit.
The tribunal ordered Wada to pay N500,000 to APC and INEC.
Musa, Waha who scored 189,704 votes to emerge the first runner-up of the election had challenged the victory of Yahaya Bello in the November 16 governorship election.
The petition, marked EPT/KG/GOV/06/2019 prayed the tribunal to be declared the winner of the election, having scored the highest number of valid votes.
Bello won the governorship election with 406,222 votes, deafeating the PDP candidate with 216,518.
The Tribunal had earlier dismissed the petion of SDP candidate, Barr.Natasha Akpoti, against Yahaya Bello on Monday also for lack of merit and ordered her to pay a fine of N100,000 each to APC and INEC.
Meanwhile, the PDP candidate has vowed to challenge the judgment at the court of Appeal to seek for justice and reclaim what he described as “stolen mandate.”
In a swift reaction, Bello said the judgment of the Election Tribunal upholding his election and the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a re-affirmation of his landmark victory on the 16of November 16 2019.
He said the landmark judgment was a validation of the people’s mandate and an added impetus to his drive to do more for the good people of Kogi State.
Bello, in a release by Mr. Onogwu Muhammed, his Chief Press Secretary shortly after the Election Petition Tribunal delivered her judgment on Saturday, lauded the tribunal for being upright and just and
thanked the entire citizens of the state for their support and prayer.
The Governor noted that with the majority ruling of the Tribunal dismissing the petition of PDP candidate, the rule of law had once again come to the defence of democracy.
This, Bello added was exemplified by affirming the collective will of the people which was expressed on November 16, 2019 “when a vast, compelling majority of the electorate cast their votes for him to serve them for a second term.”
The governor described the judgment as most comprehensive of outstanding thoroughness, reason, and stretch on the many issues presented before the tribunal.
Bello noted that the judiciary remained the last hope of common man.
Whatever partisan side one might take on the ruling of the tribunal, all must come to terms that today is a bright day for the administration of justice in Nigeria, according to the governor.
He restated his firm resolve to continue to work for the good of the people of the stateate, promising that he would not let them down.
Bello, called on all kogites to join his administration in moving the state forward, reiterated also his resolve to continue to run an all-inclusive government, with open-door policies, replica of his first tenure in office.
