The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment in the appeal challenging the election of Usman Ododo as Governor of Kogi State.
This development comes after a hearing on Monday where the court declined to establish a full seven-member panel to hear the case.
Murtala Ajaka, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Kogi governorship election, filed the appeal against the judgments of both the election tribunal and the appeal court.
At the hearing, Pius Akubo, SAN, representing Ajaka, requested a full panel of seven justices to hear the appeal, citing specific paragraphs in the appellant’s brief. However, the five-member panel led by Justice Garba Lawal rejected this request.
Justice Lawal stated, “Election appeals are time-bound and the court constituted as a five-member panel has the jurisdiction to determine the appeal as presented.”
The respondents’ lawyers, including Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kanu Agabi, SAN, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Joseph Daudu, SAN, for Governor Ododo, opposed the application for a full panel.
During the proceedings, Ajaka’s counsel urged the court to “allow the appeal, set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal and return Mr Ajaka as the duly elected governor of Kogi.”
In contrast, INEC’s representative, Agabi, argued for the dismissal of the appeal, noting that “the appellant had himself contended that the election was invalid.”
ALSO READ: INEC Refutes Claim It Is Reconfiguring BVAS to Manipulate Kogi Governorship Poll
Daudu, representing Governor Ododo, also called for the appeal’s dismissal, including “the application to depart from previous decisions.”
After hearing arguments from all parties, Justice Lawal announced that judgment would be reserved for a date to be communicated to the parties.