Group Says SDP Yet to Fulfill a Section of Electoral Act to File Petition before Tribunal

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Piqued by the seeming post-election crisis in Kogi State, a civil society organisation, the United Front for Democracy (UFD), has said the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has failed to fulfill a section of Electoral Act 2022 as amended for filling the petition before the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The group spokesperson, Yetunde Olubunmi Shaibu, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Lokoja yesterday, explaining that the group is  committed  to protecting democratic values and ensure that the judiciary is not slaughtered on the slab of political desperation and corruption.

Shuaibu, who is lawyer by profession, pointed out that the organisation has credible intelligence that the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is yet to file his petition against the winner of the election, Ahmed Usman Ododo, 22 days after the declaration of results.

According to him, “The results of the election were declared on November 12 2023. The 21 days window elapsed at the midnight of December 3, 2023. Section 134 of the Electoral Act is very clear as to when an electoral petition can be filed with all allegations and evidence relating to the petition front-loaded. By virtue of Section 134 of the Electoral Act, the SDP has failed to file its petition within the period allowed by the law and should therefore be made not to waste the time of the Panel.