Alhaji Muritala Ajaka has rejected the judgement of Supreme Court of August 23, 2024 which affirmed Usman Ahmed Ododo of APC as Governor of Kogi State. In a press statement issued on August 24, 2024 in Abuja, Alhaji Ajaka said that while he and the party (the SDP) respect the supreme court’s role in upholding the rule of law, they categorically rejected the outcome of the judgement. According to the SDP Governorship candidate, “we reject the outcome even though we have no other options available to seek redress.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
However, as law abiding citizen we will abide by the decision of the Apex court.”
In his words “I feel your pains and disappointment we did our best leaving no stone unturned, we did not fail in the election and in the law courts. We only lost to the Nigerian system of political cabals and corrupt judicial elements that have enveloped the entire national space. “However we take solace in the fact that 2027 election is just around the corner and we now know what to do. We will regroup, reassess and come back stronger to complete what we have started in the 2023 election,” he said.
To his teeming and dedicated legal team as well as the professional media group who gave him supportive coverage, Alhaji Ajaka expressed sincere appreciation, pointing out that their relentless expertise and commitment to services have been noted.
He, however, revealed that his immediate focus now will be shifted to supporting the EFCC in bringing former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to book over his alleged financial scandal of over N80 billion which has forced the former governor to go into hiding since March 2024.
As an opposition leader in the state, Alhaji Ajaka has pledged to provide necessary assistance to the anti-corruption agencies in ensuring effective accountability and transparency in Kogi State governance, adding, “togetherness we will continue to fight for a better Kogi State where justice would reign supreme and the interest of our people to be well respected”.
Meanwhile, Barrister Jibrin S. Okutepa, SAN, representing SDP Governorship candidate in the Kogi State election dispute, has condemned the Supreme Court judgement upholding the election of Alhaji Ododo as Governor of Kogi State. He insisted that it was an obvious miscarriage of justice and a serious damage to the image of Nigerian judiciary.
In a Press statement issued in Abuja on August 25, 2024, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said , “on 23rd day of August 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria legitimized what appears from facts available on records, an otherwise illegitimate electoral process that produced Ahmed Usman Ododo as governor of Kogi State. The facts of the fraudulent election that produced the Kogi State Governor were completely overlooked by the court because the witness that produced the BVAS machines demonstrated in open court, which records are there in the records of proceedings before the three tiers of court, did not frontload witness statements on oath and filed along with the petition.But this witness came from INEC upon orders of court which orders the trial Tribunal later in judgment set aside suo motu.”
Barrister Okutepa noted that INEC pursuant to orders of the Tribunal of 14th February 2024 made under paragraphs 41(1),(5), and (6) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, produced the BVAS machines that were used in the disputed five Local Governments of Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta and Lokoja LGAs. He noted also that INEC authorised the witness that demonstrated the BVAS machines tendered and demonstrated with the codes to access the contents of the BVAS machines.
“Let me congratulate the Nigerian judiciary for having the courage to overlook the facts of the electoral frauds and manipulations as seen on the records under legal technicalities to give judicial legitimacy to an otherwise fraudulent electoral processes that produced the Governor for the people of Kogi State. The essence of democracy is legitimacy derived from the sovereignty of people and not one man show as we see in the Nigerian brand of democracy that always get stamps of legitimacy from the institutions that have duties and responsibilities to checkmate illegitimate electoral processes.
“Yesterday, the 23rd day of August 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria what appears from facts available on records, an otherwise illegitimate electoral process that produced Ahmed Usman Ododo as governor of Kogi State. The facts of the fraudulent election that produced the Kogi State Governor were completely overlooked by the court because the witness that produced the BVAS machines demonstrated in open court, which records are there in the records of proceedings before the three tiers of court, did not frontload witness statements on oath and filed along with the petition.But this witness came from INEC upon orders of court which orders the trial Tribunal later in judgment set aside suo motu.
He noted that INEC pursuant to orders of the Tribunal of 14th February 2024 made under paragraphs 41(1),(5), and (6) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, produced the BVAS machines that were used in the disputed five Local Governments of Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta and Lokoja LGAs. Note also that INEC authorised the witness that demonstrated the BVAS machines tendered and demonstrated with the codes to access the contents of the BVAS machines.
Let me congratulate the Nigerian judiciary for having the courage to overlook the facts of the electoral frauds and manipulations as seen on the records under legal technicalities to give judicial legitimacy to an otherwise fraudulent electoral processes that produced the Governor for the people of Kogi State. The essence of democracy is legitimacy derived from the sovereignty of people and not one man show as we see in the Nigerian brand of democracy that always get stamps of legitimacy from the institutions that have duties and responsibilities to checkmate illegitimate electoral processes.
