Kogi Polls: Supreme Court Gives Crucial Verdict Over Ododo’s APC Candidacy

• Alhaji Usman Ododo has been cleared to be the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer at the Kogi State governorship polls
• This was confirmed on Thursday, September 28, following the verdict of the Supreme Court in a suit challenging his eligibility
• An aspirant filed the suit, Abubakar Achimugu, who lost to Ododo at the APC gubernatorial primaries

FCT, Abuja - The Supreme Court has affirmed Usman Ododo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the upcoming governorship polls slated for Saturday, November 11.

Justice Inyang Okoro issued the judgment on Thursday, September 28, after dismissing the appeal of Abubakar Achimugu, an APC governorship aspirant who sought the nullification of the primary election which produced Usman Ododo as the party’s governorship candidate.

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Achimugu’s appeal was on the premise that Ododo did not resign from his employment with the Kogi State public service 30 days before contesting the governorship primary election.

How Achimugu lost two appeals against Ododo

The judge dismissed the case at the high court, stating that Ododo resigned his appointment more than 30 days before the APC primary election in Kogi.

The court held that the evidence tendered against Ododo lacked merit.

Similarly, the appellate court dismissed Achimugu’s appeal because his case lacked merit.

As reported by Punch, Achimugu’s lawyer told the Supreme that the respondents did not resign their appointments but later agreed that they left.

The Supreme Court queried the aspirant’s legal counsel on why his issues for determination in the appellant’s brief did not have any challenge as to why the decision of both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal was perverse.

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Following this observation by the apex court, the appellant’s counsel was advised to withdraw the appeal.

Achimugu’s counsel subsequently withdrew the case, and the court dismissed it.

PEPC judgment: Why Peter Obi may lose at Supreme Court

In another development, the Supreme Court will hear Peter Obi's petition challenging the verdict of the presidential election tribunal in a couple of weeks.

Obi's appearance at the apex court will be his last shot at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the presidential villa.

However, there are doubts from political enthusiasts that Obi's petition might not have enough resolve to unseat the incumbent.

Source: Legit.ng