Supreme Court Affirms Elections of Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi Governors

*I re-dedicate myself to service of Imo people, says Uzodimma

Chuks Okocha and Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Supreme Court yesterday held that it found nothing wrong with the off-circle governorship elections that produced Senator Douye Diri, Usman Ododo and Senator Hope Uzodimma as governors of Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states respectively.

In different appeals filed against the November 11, 2023, governorship elections in the three states, the apex court held that none of the appellants could provide credible evidence to prove that the elections did not comply substantially with the electoral laws nor how they were cheated during the election exercise.

Reacting to the court judgement, Uzodimma said he has re-dedicated himself to the service of the people of the state.
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday congratulated Diri over the judgement of the Supreme Court, which  affirmed his victory in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state.

The apex court held that the various judgements that dismissed petitions against the three governors at the tribunals as well as the Court of Appeal, were sound and not requiring the intervention of the apex court.
In the case of Bayelsa, the apex court affirmed the re-election of Diri as Bayelsa Governor, shortly after dismissing the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the lead judgement delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, the apex court held that Sylva’s appeal was grossly incompetent and an abuse of court process.

The panel subsequently upheld the concurrent judgements of the Court of Appeal and Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which earlier dismissed the case for lacking in merit.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Diri of the PDP winner of the November 11, 2024 governorship poll after he scored a total of 175,196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sylva of the APC who polled 110,108 votes.

Similarly, the apex court in the Kogi matter dismissed the appeal by Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), for lacking in merit.
Ajaka had cited issues of alleged substantial non-compliance amongst others, as grounds for the apex court to nullify the election of Ododo.
But, the apex court held that both the tribunal and the appellate courts were right in holding that Ajaka’s evidence was not strong enough to sway them.
Besides, the apex court further held that allegations of age falsification and certificate forgery are pre-election matters, which ought to be heard by the Federal High Court and not the tribunal.

The panel subsequently dismissed Ajaka’s appeal for lacking merit.
INEC had announced that Ododo polled a total of 446,237 votes to defeat Ajaka who came second with 259,052 votes.
In Imo, Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, who delivered the lead judgement affirmed Uzodimma’s re-election shortly after dismissing two separate appeals filed by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
Both Athan Achonu of the LP and Samuel Anyawu of the PDP had challenged the declaration of Uzodimma as winner of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.

Their grounds of alleged rigging, non-compliance were rejected by both the election tribunal and Appeal Court for lacking in merit.
Not satisfied, they approached the apex to upturn the two judgements for being allegedly perverse but, the apex court disagreed, noting that the appellants could not provide cogent reason why they should deviate from the conclusions of the two lower courts.

With the final decision of the apex court today, the curtain has been drawn over all litigations regarding the November 11, 2023, governorship elections.

Meanwhile, Uzodimma, reacting to the ruling in a statement yesterday, said: “A few hours ago,  the Supreme Court confirmed me as the duly elected Governor of Imo State, arising from the November 11th, 2023 governorship election.

“It is, therefore, with a heart full of gratitude that I thank God Almighty for granting me another victory after I had also emerged victorious at the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal

“I express my gratitude to the Supreme Court for upholding the law despite the barrage of blackmail and intimidation by those who wanted sentiments to obfuscate justice.

“When Imo people overwhelmingly reelected me last year as their governor, it was simply based on my sterling performance, which remains unprecedented in the modern history of the state. During my second tenure inauguration, I pledged to serve them with renewed vigour, with honesty and transparency and accountability and with the fear of God.

“Today, with this Supreme Court victory, which I dedicate to all Imo people, irrespective of political or religious affiliation, I rededicate myself to the service of the good people of Imo state.

“To my brothers who contested with me during the election, I re-invite them to join me in the task of reinventing Imo to the state of our shared dreams. My doors will continue to remain open to all Imo people genuinely committed to the betterment of our society.

“Now that all issues pertaining to the election have been resolved,  let us all work for the peace and progress of our dear State.”

PDP Hails Supreme Court Judgement Affirming Diri’s Election, Raises Concerns Over Imo, Kogi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday congratulated the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri over the judgement of the Supreme Court, which affirmed his victory in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the verdict of the Supreme Court is another victory for democracy, rule of law and the expressed will of the people of Bayelsa State in their quest for good governance and development on the platform of the PDP.

According to Ologunagba, “Governor Diri’s re-election by the overwhelming majority of the people of Bayelsa State is a resounding testament in recognition and appreciation of his outstanding achievements in the delivery of life-changing citizen empowerment programmes and projects in the state.”

The PDP, however raised serious concerns on the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the governorship elections in Imo and Kogi states despite confirmed reports and evidence that the elections were heavily flawed and blatantly compromised, marred by widespread violence and manipulations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in connivance with certain unscrupulous officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ologunagba said that the general melancholic disposition in Imo and Kogi states at the news of the judgement “validates the concerns and views of our party and majority of Nigerians that the results of the elections declared in the two States did not reflect the true aspiration of the people as expressed in their votes.”

He said that the upholding of the governorship election in Imo and Kogi states further underscored a very serious challenge created by the blemished operation and violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Electoral Guidelines by INEC.

According to the spokesman of the PDP, “The judgement also underlines the clamour and demand by our party and Nigerians for a comprehensive review of the Electoral Law particularly with respect to the declaration of results of election without due regard to issues and complaints arising from obvious violation of the provisions of the law and electoral processes.

“This again highlights the need to strengthen the electoral law and processes to ensure that elections are determined by votes cast and not by violence and manipulations as were prevalent in the Imo and Kogi State governorship elections.

“Such situation places a lot of pressure on the judiciary which would have been avoided if the electoral commission ensured strict adherence to the Electoral Act and Guidelines in the conduct of elections in our country.

“Our party restates its position that no candidate should be declared a winner of any election until all legal processes are concluded. This is to prevent the inclination to resort to self-help through the use of violence and manipulation to secure unearned victory as witnessed in the Imo and Kogi states governorship elections,” Ologunagba stated.

He said that the PDP as a law-abiding party, respects the decision of the Supreme Court despite the party’s deep reservations and urged Nigerians to remain calm but determined in the collective quest to ensure the entrenchment of credible elections in our country.