The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the Kogi State governorship election held on November 11, 2023. This ruling came after Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, tried every trick in the book to overturn the election results, but failed spectacularly.
Ajaka had filed an appeal challenging Ododo’s victory, alleging widespread violations of the Electoral Act and questioning Ododo’s qualifications. However, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment, sided with the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision from May 27th, which also upheld Ododo’s election.
The five-judge panel was clear in its stance, Ajaka did not present sufficient evidence to prove any substantial non-compliance with electoral laws. The court also dismissed Ajaka’s claims about age falsification and certificate forgery, labeling them as pre-election issues that should have been resolved in the Federal High Court long before the votes were cast.
As if to put the final nail in the coffin, the Supreme Court declared Ajaka’s appeal lacking in merit and unworthy of further consideration. INEC had earlier announced that Ododo secured 446,237 votes, leaving Ajaka far behind with 259,052 votes. With this judgment, Ododo’s position as Kogi State governor stands uncontested, much to the dismay of those hoping for a different outcome.
