The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the election of Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, and dismissed the appeal filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka. The appeal challenged the judgment of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which declared Ododo the duly elected governor.
The SDP and Ajaka had argued that the tribunal’s judgment was a miscarriage of justice and urged the Court of Appeal to overturn it and declare them the winners of the election. They also sought to void all votes cast for Ododo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on grounds that Ododo was not qualified to contest the election.
However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the election petition tribunal, affirming Ododo’s election as the duly elected governor of Kogi State. This decision is a significant blow to the SDP and Ajaka’s bid to challenge the outcome of the November 11, 2023, governorship election in Kogi State.
