The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, affirmed the victories of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, governors of Oyo, Delta and Yobe states respectively.
The verdicts came almost a week after the apex court said Governor Nyesom Wike, Henry Umahi and Ibikunle Amosun of Rivers, Ebonyi and Ogun states in that order were validly elected last year.
This is even as there is tension in Abia and Akwa Ibom states that are awaiting the Supreme Court’s rulings on their governors.
Abia State was engulfed in massve protests following the nullification of the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Court of Appeal.
In a unanimous decision, the appellate court sitting as an election tribunal ordered that the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) , Dr. Alex Otti, be sworn in as the duly-elected governor.
The apex court yesterday, in a unanimous judgment of seven justices, headed by Justice Walter Onnoghen, dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Rasheed Ladoja of the Accord Party, challenging Ajimobi’s victory.
Justice Clara Binta Ogunbiyi, who delivered the judgment, held that Ladoja’s appeal lacked merit and constituted gross abuse of court process.
She also held that reasons for the decision of the court would be given on February 15. Also, the apex court also upheld the election of Okowa of the PDP.
Justice John Inyang Okoro held that the appeal filed by Chief Great Ogboru of the Labour Party and APGA candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor lacked merit and was accordingly dismissed.
The court also ruled that Geidam was validly elected.
The judgment delivered by Justice Mary Peter Odili, held that the appeal challenging Geidam’s election brought by Adamu Maina Waziri of the PDP also lacked merit and was accordingly dismissed.
The court reserved reasons for all the judgments till February 15.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed Senator Okowa as the duly elected governor in the April 11, 2015 governorship election.
The panel, headed by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, dismissed the petitions on the grounds that the appellants failed at the lower tribunal to prove the allegations of corruption, malpractices and irregularities during the poll beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.
Reacting, Governor Okowa urged Chief Ogboru and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Emerhor to apologise to the people for distracting his government with court processes.
Dr. Okowa spoke in Asaba yesterday in an emergency thanksgiving service while over the ruling.
He said: “At the Supreme Court, our minds were at rest. Even when the almighty judgment of the Rivers State governorship election came, I thought that my brothers, Ogboru and Emerhor would withdraw their cases.
Meanwhile, Senator Ladoja has congratulated Governor Ajimobi on his victory at the Supreme Court.
Ladoja, who was dissatisfied with the declaration of Ajimobi as winner of the April 11, 2015, governorship polls, had approached the election petition tribunal, Court of Appeal and the apex court to upturn Ajimobi’s victory, but he lost at the three levels. – The Sun.
