The 2019 Kogi State governorship election petition at Court of Appeal hearing is Monday, on 29th of June . the governorship election tussle between Engineer Musa Attai Wada, the People Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate and Kogi Sate Governor, Yahaya Bello of All Progressive Congress (APC) is the major political topic in Kogi State and Nigeria at large, Nigerianpost, report.
Some people said that the election was a tug of war, some said it was war against the masses while others said it was a rape of democracy due to its thuggish brutality, both local and international observers adjudged Kogi state November 16 Guber election to be worse in history and a precedent that must not be allow to stand.
Kogi State comprises of 21 local government areas which entails 239 wards and 2,548 polling units
In the election Engineer Musa Wada polled 189,709 votes while Governor Bello scored 406 votes and Engineer challenged the out come of the election and seek for redress at the kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that there was over voting, voter’s intimidation, multiple thump printing, violence and much more irregularities in the election.
At the Election Petition Tribunal, the three man committee, two upheld the election of Governor Yahaya Bello while one dissent the judgement that the election is inclusiveness and INEC should withdraw the certificate of return from Governor Bello and conduct a rerun election in seven local government areas of the state due to some electoral malpractices in the seven local government areas which are; Ajaokuta, Kana/Bunu, Lokoja, Okene, Okehi, Adavi and Olamoboro. And he stressed further that 284, 612 ballot papers were used and 323,745 votes were casted. Meanwhile, 159,957 multiple thump prints and 67, 297 irregularities were recorded.
Engineer Musa Wada disagreed with the judgement that affirmed the election of Governor Bello and appealed for fair hearing.