At the ruling today, Justice Halima Mohammed said the 21 days period for the substitution of a candidate do not apply since Yahaya Bello is a member of the APC.
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Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition of James Faleke challenging the legitimacy of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State.
Faleke said with the death of Audu on the day the results of the initial election was being announced, he should have stepped into the shoes of Audu.?More details later.
She, thereafter, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
Wada argued that Bello only polled 6,805 votes in the December 5 supplementary election and can not inherit the 240,867 votes polled by the original candidate of the All Progressives Congress, late Prince Abubakar Audu in the November 21, 2015 election.
Faleke, who was the running mate of Audu in the election, felt slighted by the action, and then asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him victor of the election.
Wada argued that Bello only polled 6 805 votes in the December 5 supplementary election and could not possibly inherit the 240 867 votes polled by the original candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) late Abubakar Audu in the November 21, 2015 election.
The petitioner contended that the first respondence who did not participate in the Nov 21st election can not inherit votes as he only score 6000 votes in the Dec 5th election.
But the tribunal ruled on the respondents’ preliminary objection the nomination and sponsorship of Bello as the governorship candidate of the APC was a domestic affair of the party.
The petitioner, Mr Faleke was running as the deputy governorship candidate under the late Abubakar Audu up until INEC declared the poll inconclusive after Mr Audu died.
Awoniyi told newsmen, shortly after the judgment of the tribunal, that consultation was already going on within the party’s legal team of lawyers on how to appeal the judgment.
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It also held that the issues contended by Faleke bordered on the power of a political party to nominate its candidate, a decision which Justice Mohammed ruled that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to interfere with.
