KOGI POLL: Court adjourns suit on Bello’s eligibility till November 21

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday adjourned hearing in the suit challenging the eligibility of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, for Saturday’s governorship election in the state till November 21.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, who adjourned the case, held that the court decided to move the case forward to give Bello, who sought to be joined in the matter, a fair hearing.

The presiding judge also said all preliminary objections in the suit would be taken on that day, adding that any party that failed to show up in court on that day would be deemed to have adopted them.

The suit, dated October 10 and marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1221/2019, filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on behalf of the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Natasha Akpoti, sought the court’s determination on the eligibility of Bello for Saturday’s election, having allegedly been involved in double registration as a voter.

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Akpoti said: Tthat by his wilful act of making double registration as a voter, Yahaya Bello, candidate of the 1st defendant is not a fit and proper person to be allowed by the 2nd defendant to vote or be voted for in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election, having committed acts of electoral fraud.

“That Mr. Yahaya Bella, the candidate of the 1st Defendant was initially registered as a voter sometime in 2011 in Abuja, by the 2nd defendant.

“That Bello, the candidate of the 1st defendant again fraudulently procured from the 2nd defendant, a second registration as a voter on May 23, 2017, at Government House, Lokoja, while his 2011 first registration as a voter in Abuja was still live, extant and subsisting.

“That the said Yahaya Bello, the candidate of the 1st defendant carried out the double registration with the 2nd defendant so as to scuttle due electoral process.

“That such a person is not a fit and proper person to vote for in any election, let alone for the high office of the governor of a state.”

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