Supreme Court Set to Decide Diri, Uzodimma, Ododo’s Fates in Off-circle Polls

•Reserves judgements

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Participants in the November 11, 2023 off-circle governorship elections are due to know their fate soon as the Supreme Court, yesterday, reserved its judgement in appeals seeking to unseat Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Usman Ododo of Kogi State.

A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal, announced that judgements hadbeen reserved and the date for delivery would be communicated to parties in the suit.

He made the appeal shortly after lawyers representing parties in the various appeals adopted their written addresses as their arguments in support and against the appeals.

The appeals rose from the conduct of the November 11, governorship elections in the three states.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared both Diri and Uzodimma re-elected and Ododo elected as governor.

Dissatisfied, former Petroleum Resources Minister, Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who came second, had dragged Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the governorship tribunal, urging it to void Diri’s re-election on account of irregularities, non-compliance amongst others.

While Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP had sued Uzodinma of the APC over similar allegations, in Kogi, it was Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) seeking to replace Ododo of the APC.

Whether Diri, Uzodimma and Ododo would retain their seat or would be sent packing is just a matter of days, as the five-member panel would reveal their findings when they reconvene for judgement.

Already, both the three states tribunals as well as the Court of Appeal, had held that the petitioners/appellants failed to prove their respective cases and had accordingly dismissed the cases.