OBINNA EZUGWU
Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has called on all parties to join hands with him to take Kogi State to the next level.
The governor said the Supreme Court judgement which upheld his election earlier on Monday, was an affirmation of the landmark victory entrusted to him by the people of Kogi State at the November 16, 2019 polls.
The governor who reacted to the judgement in a statement by Onogwu Muhammed, his Chief Press Secretary, (CPS) said the decision is an affirmation of the identical positions on the matters taken by the erudite jurists at the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
Recall that the governor polled a total of 406,222 votes against his closest rival, the PDP candidate who polled 189,704 votes with a winning margin of 216,518 votes in the November 16 gubernatorial poll held last year.
The Supreme Court which last Tuesday the 25th of August heard appeals filed by the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the respective judgments of the Court of Appeal which earlier upheld decisions of the Kogi State elections petitions tribunal dismissing their various petitions against the governor and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bello also praised the panel of 5 Justices led by Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammadu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria which heard the appeals and Hon. Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji CFR who read this morning’s judgment alone. Appreciating the court for her uprightness and erudition, the Governor thanked the entire citizens of the state for casting their votes for him and joining him to defend same to the end. He assured them that his administration will continue to do more and more for them in line with his campaign slogan.
He used the opportunity to pay tribute to His Royal Majesty, Dr. Micheal Idakwo, Ameh Oboni II, the late Attah of Igala who passed on last week. He described the late traditional ruler as ‘a unifier’ who was a great supporter of his administration, a father and a wise counsellor.
The governor called on the other parties and their candidates to forgo all forms of bitterness and division and join hands with him to take Kogi to the next level.
