In two separate statements yesterday, both the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and incumbent governor of Kogi State, Capt. Idris Wada and the running mate of the deceased candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. James Faleke, vowed to appeal the judgment.
In a statement signed by his Chief Communication Manager, Mr. Phrank Shaibu yesterday, Governor Wada described the judgment as a beacon of hope for democracy.
The statement reads: “Our confidence in the judiciary remains unshaken. The letters and wordings of the judgment has given hope to the survival of democracy, especially coming at a time when some officials of key institutions of democracy such as INEC, who as electoral umpires are expected to be impartial unto death but have chosen to compromise their independence apparently under the dictates of an Attorney General appointed by a very desperate All Progressives Congress.
“While our lawyers are preparing their papers for an appeal, we call on all our supporters to remain calm and move to the field for the supplementary polls.
“We are confident that this clay-legged contraption when tested further in the courts will crumble like a pack of cards. Our democracy is truly on trial.
“Victory will surely come!”
Faleke, on his part, vowed to challenge the Federal High Court judgment for ruling in favour of the supplementary election scheduled for today by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Faleke challenged Justice Gabriel Kolawole’s ruling, saying that he is a marathon runner and would continue to pursue his case at the Appeal Court level until he actualises the mandate rightfully given him by the people of Kogi State.
The Federal High Court, presided by Justice Kolawole, had yesterday ruled that it was only the yet to be constituted governorship election petition tribunal that has powers to entertain post election matters and therefore ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to stop the already scheduled supplementary election.
Faleke however insisted that the judgment was in bad faith and had trampled on his rights.
He urged his supporters to remain calm, as the battle to get justice had just commenced.
He condemned the attack carried out on the INEC office at Dekina Local Government Area, by yet to be identified hoodlums, describing it as barbaric.
Faleke had through his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, asked the court to declare him the governor-elect in the November 21 election, since he was the running mate to the APC candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, who died the next day.
He had also in a letter to INEC and the APC declined to be running mate to Yahaya Bello, who the party chose as replacement for Audu, saying that he should be declared governor-elect, since he was part of the joint ticket for the election.
