The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Governor Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the November 11 gubernatorial election in Kogi State.
In a unanimous judgment delivered today, the Apex Court dismissed the appeal filed by Murtala Ajaka, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), challenging the election’s outcome. Ajaka had argued that the election was marred by substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that the allegations of non-compliance presented by the SDP candidate were not sufficiently proven. The panel also addressed claims of age falsification and certificate forgery against Ododo, noting that such issues are pre-election matters under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, not the Supreme Court.
The ruling affirms the May 27 decision of the Court of Appeal, which also upheld Ododo’s victory.
INEC had previously declared that Ododo secured 446,237 votes, defeating Ajaka, who came in second place with 259,052 votes.
The Supreme Court’s decision reinforces Ododo’s legitimacy as the elected governor of Kogi State and concludes the legal challenges surrounding the election.
