The Supreme Court, has reserved judgement in the appeals filed against the Kogi State and Bayelsa State Tribunal and Court of appeal judgements.
The five-man panel led by Justice Garba Lawal reserved the judgement after listening to submissions by the lawyers, for and against the appeals.
The candidate of the the Social Democratic Party, SDP in the Kogi Governorship election, Muritala Ajaka, dissatisfied with the outcome of the Tribunal and that of the Court of Appeal, decided to approach the Supreme Court, to upturn those decisions.
When hearing commenced on Monday, Pius Akubo, SAN told the court that he had applied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to allow a full panel of the Supreme Court to hear the appeal in view of paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29 of the appellant’s brief of argument.
Although he mentioned that they had not received a response from the CJN.
MUST READ:Reactions Trail Supreme Court judgement Affirming Financial Autonomy for LGAs
All the Respondents Counsels kicked against the application and urged the court to proceed with hearing, noting that the application was unnecessary.
The court in a brief ruling noted that the issue of departure was only one out of the other issues raised for determination and that since election issues are time bound the court will proceed with hearing the appeal and not wait for an administrative process.
Kanu Agabi, SAN urged the court to dismiss the appeal since the appellants in their brief of arguments pointed that the election was invalid. All other respondents aligned themselves with Agbi’s submission and urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.
The five-member panel of justices led by Justice Garba Lawal however reserved judgement till a date that would be communicated to the lawyers in the appeal.
In the same vein, the Apex court reserved judgement in the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress, APC challenging the decision of the Bayelsa State Governorship Tribunal and that of the Court of appeal, which affirmed Governor Douye Diri as the authentic Governor of the state.
Diri and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the hearing urged the court to dismiss the appeal on grounds that it was devoided of merit and should be dismissed in its entirety.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the PDP all supported the call for the dismissal of the appeal for want of merit.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
