Kogi Guber: Why Appeal Court Dismissed Wada, Natasha's Petition Against Gov Yahaya Bello
The reasons why the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Saturday dismissed the petition of the Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Musa Wada and the candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, challenging the judgment of Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed the election of Governor Yahaya Bello has been uncovered.
Musa Wada of PDP had filed an appeal challenging the judgment of the Tribunal that affirmed Yahaya Bello as duly elected Governor of Kogi State, insisting that he was the winner of the election and prayed the appellate court to be declared as the authentic Governor of Kogi State.
Wada had argued before Appeal Court that the Kogi State election was rigged in favour Yahaya Bello of APC through alleged manipulation not figures and other irregularities. Relying on forensic analysis, Wada alleged further that the election was massively rigged in seven local government including Okene where Yahaya Bello polled 112,764 votes, he therefore sought the relief of the appellate court to cancel Yahaya Bello's election in the seven local government and therefore declared him the duly elected Governor of Kogi State having scored the highest number of valid votes.
Why Appeal Court Dismissed Musa Wada's Petition Against Yahaya Bello
However, the Appeal Court in its ruling on Saturday held that PDP and its governorship candidate in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State, Musa Wada, failed to link their documents to their claims of irregularities in the election, adding that they merely dumped such documents on the Tribunal.
The appellate court further held that the Tribunal was right to treat their case as having no evidentiary value because they failed to link their evidences.
This is in support of the earlier ruling of the Tribunal which dismissed the petition of PDP and Musa Wada on the ground that they based their evidence on hear-say.
The Appeal Court also dismissed Musa Wada's petition because he failed to prove how the alleged manipulation and altercations affected the overall results of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State.
The appellate court also dismissed Wada's petition because the evidence on the allegation of multiple thump-printing was pleaded on corrupt practices adding that the allegation was abandoned to all intents and evidence in that regards goes to no issue.
The Appeal Court therefore dismissed the petition of PDP and its candidate, Musa Wada, for lack of merit and fine the Appellants N100,000 to be paid to APC and INEC respectively.
Recalled that Natasha Akpoti of SDP had also approached the appellate court challenging the ruling of the Tribunal that declared Yahaya Bello the winner of the election.
Natasha Akpoti had prayed that the Appeal Court should nullify Kogi State governorship election on the ground that the running mate of Yahaya Bello in the election, Edward Onoja falsified his age.
Akpoti argued that since they have a joint ticket, the election should be nullified and order for a fresh election in the state.
The SDP and its candidate had also prayed the appellate court to
nullify the election on the ground that INEC disobeyed the ruling of the Federal Court which ordered electoral umpire to include SDP on the ballot paper for the election following the ruling of the Abuja Federal High Court on November 7, 2019 which ruled that INEC was wrong to have disqualified Natasha Akpoti and SDP from the election.
Akpoti had prayed the court to nullify the election and order for fresh election where INEC will include her party on the ballot paper for the Kogi governorship election.
Why Appeal Court Dismissed Natasha Akpoti's Petition Against Yahaya Bello
In its ruling on Saturday, the Appeal Court while ruling on Natasha Akpoti's petition challenging the judgment of the Tribunal which affirmed the election of Yahaya Bello, held that SDP and its candidate's claim that that Edward Onoja falsified his age it's out time and therefore struck out the petition on the ground that the Petitioners failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt all the allegations against Edward Onoja.
The Court of Appeal also dismissed the petition of SDP and its candidate, Natasha Akpoti against Yahaya Bello on the ground that their evidence is deemed contradictory. The Appeal Court added that their PW3's oral evidence was replete with glaring and blaring absurdities and totally unhelpful in proving their petition before the appellate court.
The Appeal Court further held that SDP and its candidate failed to prove how the alleged misconducts and corrupt practises could have affected the overall November 16, governorship election in Kogi State to invalidate the declaration by INEC.
On these bases, the Appeal Court dismissed the petition for lack of merit and affirmed Governor Yahaya Bello as duly elected Governor of Kogi State.
Musa Wada of PDP had filed an appeal challenging the judgment of the Tribunal that affirmed Yahaya Bello as duly elected Governor of Kogi State, insisting that he was the winner of the election and prayed the appellate court to be declared as the authentic Governor of Kogi State.
Wada had argued before Appeal Court that the Kogi State election was rigged in favour Yahaya Bello of APC through alleged manipulation not figures and other irregularities. Relying on forensic analysis, Wada alleged further that the election was massively rigged in seven local government including Okene where Yahaya Bello polled 112,764 votes, he therefore sought the relief of the appellate court to cancel Yahaya Bello's election in the seven local government and therefore declared him the duly elected Governor of Kogi State having scored the highest number of valid votes.
Why Appeal Court Dismissed Musa Wada's Petition Against Yahaya Bello
However, the Appeal Court in its ruling on Saturday held that PDP and its governorship candidate in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State, Musa Wada, failed to link their documents to their claims of irregularities in the election, adding that they merely dumped such documents on the Tribunal.
The appellate court further held that the Tribunal was right to treat their case as having no evidentiary value because they failed to link their evidences.
This is in support of the earlier ruling of the Tribunal which dismissed the petition of PDP and Musa Wada on the ground that they based their evidence on hear-say.
The Appeal Court also dismissed Musa Wada's petition because he failed to prove how the alleged manipulation and altercations affected the overall results of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State.
The appellate court also dismissed Wada's petition because the evidence on the allegation of multiple thump-printing was pleaded on corrupt practices adding that the allegation was abandoned to all intents and evidence in that regards goes to no issue.
The Appeal Court therefore dismissed the petition of PDP and its candidate, Musa Wada, for lack of merit and fine the Appellants N100,000 to be paid to APC and INEC respectively.
Recalled that Natasha Akpoti of SDP had also approached the appellate court challenging the ruling of the Tribunal that declared Yahaya Bello the winner of the election.
Natasha Akpoti had prayed that the Appeal Court should nullify Kogi State governorship election on the ground that the running mate of Yahaya Bello in the election, Edward Onoja falsified his age.
Akpoti argued that since they have a joint ticket, the election should be nullified and order for a fresh election in the state.
The SDP and its candidate had also prayed the appellate court to
nullify the election on the ground that INEC disobeyed the ruling of the Federal Court which ordered electoral umpire to include SDP on the ballot paper for the election following the ruling of the Abuja Federal High Court on November 7, 2019 which ruled that INEC was wrong to have disqualified Natasha Akpoti and SDP from the election.
Akpoti had prayed the court to nullify the election and order for fresh election where INEC will include her party on the ballot paper for the Kogi governorship election.
Why Appeal Court Dismissed Natasha Akpoti's Petition Against Yahaya Bello
In its ruling on Saturday, the Appeal Court while ruling on Natasha Akpoti's petition challenging the judgment of the Tribunal which affirmed the election of Yahaya Bello, held that SDP and its candidate's claim that that Edward Onoja falsified his age it's out time and therefore struck out the petition on the ground that the Petitioners failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt all the allegations against Edward Onoja.
The Court of Appeal also dismissed the petition of SDP and its candidate, Natasha Akpoti against Yahaya Bello on the ground that their evidence is deemed contradictory. The Appeal Court added that their PW3's oral evidence was replete with glaring and blaring absurdities and totally unhelpful in proving their petition before the appellate court.
The Appeal Court further held that SDP and its candidate failed to prove how the alleged misconducts and corrupt practises could have affected the overall November 16, governorship election in Kogi State to invalidate the declaration by INEC.
On these bases, the Appeal Court dismissed the petition for lack of merit and affirmed Governor Yahaya Bello as duly elected Governor of Kogi State.
Comments
Post a Comment
Disclaimer: The comments on the blog are the views and opinions of the readers and does not represent that of Confluence Reporters.