The supreme court has upheld the victory of Usman Ododo as the governor of Kogi state.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, a five-member panel dismissed the appeal filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Murtala Ajaka, its governorship candidate.
The panel held that the appeal marked SC/CV/654/2024 was void of merit.
Sadiq Umar, who authored and read the lead judgment, resolved all the three issues brought for determination in the appeal against the appellants.
The supreme court also dismissed the appeal by the Action Alliance (AA) and its candidate, Olayinka Baimoh, against Ododo’s victory.
The court held that the appeal marked SC/CV/653/2024 was incompetent because the notice was filed outside the 14 days permitted by law.
The court proceeded to dismiss the appeal and award a cost of N5 million against the appellants and in favour of the respondents.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Ododo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Kogi governorship election held on November 11, 2023.
Ododo polled 446,237 votes to defeat Ajaka who came second with 259,052 votes; and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 46,362 votes.
