Tribunal Victory: Ododo Commends Tinubu on Independence of Judiciary

–         Promises to fish out killers of Kogi university students

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State has commended President Bola Tinubu for ensuring that the country’s judiciary remains truly independent in the discharge of their judicial functions.

Ododo also commended the courts for living up to the claim that, “judiciary is the last hope for the common man”.

The governor who spoke with journalists in Abuja, shortly after the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja declared him as duly elected, however promised to fish out the killers of two university students in the state recently.

Although, Ododo would have loved to bask in the euphoria of his court victory, he however stated that, “this is a period of sober reflection as we mourn the killing of two Kogi students last week.

“It is only God that will judge these perpetrators”, he said while assuring that, “we will fish them out” and ensure that they would be prosecuted.

Ododo who dedicated his victory to the people of Kogi, including the students who died, commended the people for standing by their mandate they freely gave him.

He also called on all those who lost to him both at the polls and the court to in the interest of the state join him to make Kogi State great and respected globally.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo was elected the fifth executive governor of Kogi State having scored 446, 237 votes to defeat his closest challenger Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who scored 259, 052 votes in the November 11, 2023 governorship election.

The SDP candidate, Muritala Ajaka and candidates of the Action Alliance (AA) Olayinka Braimoh and Abdullahi Yunusa of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) subsequently challenged the election of Governor Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in separate petitions.

After months of intense legal battles, the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, presided by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, on Monday affirmed Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of the APC as the duly elected governor of Kogi State thereby dismissing the petitions of Muritala Ajaka of the SDP, Olayinka Braimoh of AA and Abdullahi Yunusa of PRP for lacking in merit.