Kogi: Appeal Court keeps Bello, Faleke, Wada guessing

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and his challengers, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and former Governor Idris Wada, may have to wait a little longer for the decision of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

This is as the court on Tuesday reserved judgments in two appeals challenging the decision of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld the election of Bello.

Abiodun Faleke, who was the running mate of late Abubakar Audu, and Idris Wada, had approached the Appeal Court, challenging the decision of the election tribunal.

The court said it would communicate the date it will deliver judgement in the appeals to the parties after they adopted their briefs of argument on Tuesday.

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At the adoption of the briefs, counsel to Faleke, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), prayed the court to set aside the decision of the tribunal and void Bello’s election on the grounds that he (Bello) was not properly nominated.

According to him, Bello did not participate in all the electioneering processes as required by law before he emerged as his party’s candidate in the re-run election. He also prayed the court to declare Faleke as the proper for the seat of governor of the state.

However, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Ahmed Raji, contended that the court should uphold Bello’s election on the grounds that he was properly nominated by the APC as a replacement to Abubakar Audu, who died during the election.

On his part, counsel to Bello, Joseph Daudu (SAN), said the issue of nomination of candidates for election was the sole responsibility of a political party, arguing that Bello, having been nominated by the APC in compliance with the existing law and authority of the party, remained the candidate of his party in the election.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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