Kogi Guber Race Settled: Tribunal Upholds Ododo’s Victory

The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, upheld Usman Ododo as the legitimate Governor of Kogi State in its ruling on Monday.

The tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka.

Presided over by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, the three-member tribunal panel affirmed Ododo’s victory, rejecting the SDP’s challenge to the election results. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declared Ododo, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as the winner of the November 11, 2023, Kogi State Governorship Election.

Ododo secured 446,237 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the SDP, who garnered 259,052 votes, with Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trailing behind with 46,362 votes.

The petitioners sought to annul the election results and demanded a fresh election in five LGAs, alleging forgery, voting irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. However, the tribunal dismissed these claims, citing the petitioners’ failure to submit witness statements along with the petition and questioning the credibility of the witnesses presented.

Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu deemed the evidence provided by the petitioners as “hearsay” and insufficient to prove their allegations. Consequently, the tribunal upheld Ododo’s election victory, emphasizing the lack of evidence to support claims of forgery or irregularities.

With the tribunal’s ruling, Ododo remains the governor of Kogi State, succeeding former Governor Yahaya Bello. Ododo, a former Local Government Auditor-General in Kogi State, is entrusted with leading the state and overseeing its affairs, including financial management and governance.