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Published on 2024-03-14 18:46:57
The Supreme Court has granted Murtala Ajaka permission to inspect the materials used in the Kogi state governorship election that took place in November 2023. This decision by the apex court overturned the earlier request by the appeal court, declaring it null and void. Justice Emmanuel Agim ruled in favor of Ajaka, stating that the order of the Kogi governorship election tribunal was in accordance with section 146 of the Electoral Act.
Esther Odili, a journalist from Legit.ng with over two years of experience covering political parties and movements, reported on Thursday, March 14, that the Supreme Court upheld the request made by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Kogi state, Murtala Ajaka, to inspect the materials used in the election.
The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, invalidated the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal that had halted the inspection process. The Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the Kogi governorship tribunal, which allowed the SDP candidate to inspect the election materials, as reported by The Cable.
“In light of the foregoing, this appeal is allowed, and the cross-appeal dismissed with no costs,” Justice Agim stated.
The judge’s decision on Thursday, as reported by Daily Trust, affirmed that the Kogi election tribunal was within its powers when it ordered the forensic examination of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in certain local government areas. The apex court also dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Governor Usman Ododo and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), citing the governor’s decision to stay away as a self-inflicted injury.
Ajaka and the SDP are challenging the outcome of the election on the grounds of widespread irregularities, overvoting, and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. Ahmed Usman-Ododo, the APC flagbearer, emerged as the winner of the November 11 governorship election in Kogi state, securing 446,237 votes to defeat his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka, who garnered 259,052 votes. Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came in third with 46,362 votes.
In a statement on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, INEC refuted allegations that accreditation data on its result viewing (IReV) portal was manipulated during the Kogi governorship election, as reported by Legit.ng. The national commissioner and member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, stated that media reports suggesting tampering with the accredited figures of voters in the election results uploaded on the IReV portal were unfounded.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Murtala Ajaka to inspect the election materials used in the Kogi governorship election signifies a significant development in the legal battle surrounding the outcome of the election. The ruling reinforces the importance of transparency and accountability in the electoral process, ensuring that candidates have the opportunity to challenge results based on valid concerns of irregularities and non-compliance with electoral laws.
Read the original article on Legit.ng
