The Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal has reserved judgement in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its governorship candidate, Musa Wada, in the November 16, 2019, governorship election in Kogi State.
The 3-member panel of justices headed by Justice Kashim Kaigama, reserved judgement in the petition on Thursday after parties adopted their final written addresses.
Counsel for the petitioner, Jibril Okutepa in his submission urged the court to uphold the petition and order his client, Wada to be returned as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State, having won majority of votes cast in the election.
Okutepa further alleged massive rigging at the election and substantial non-compliance to electoral laws. He therefore asked the court to reject every objection raised by the respondents in the matter.
Counsel for the respondents, Alex Iziyon, Joseph Daudu, and Ahmed Raji relied on all processes filed as well as final written addresses in urging the court to discountenance the petition.
They argued that there were 7 local government areas out of 21 in the State and 2,548 polling units involved in the dispute but the petitioners did not present more than 32 witnesses to prove their allegations.
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They also faulted the petitioner for presenting a witness who informed the court that the petition gave rise to the report he tendered in court.
Wada and his party had in December 2019, filed a petition at the Tribunal challenging the declaration of Bello as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
