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'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has expressed his approval of the Court of Appeal's ruling in Abuja, which upheld the governorship election petition tribunal's decision affirming his election as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State.
In response to the appeal court's judgement according to a statement by his special adviser on media Ismaila Isah today, the Governor expressed gratitude to the people of Kogi State for their support and praised the judiciary for its prompt handling of the appeal. He noted that the court’s decision reinforced the mandate given to him by the people and was in alignment with the will of God and the majority of Kogi State residents.
“I give thanks to God for seeing us through this phase of the court processes and I thank the people of Kogi state for uniting behind our administration and the steps we are taking to serve our people with the best of our ability,” Governor Ododo stated. “The judgement of the Appeal Court reaffirms the fact that the November 2023 Governorship election in Kogi State was free, fair, peaceful, and credible."
Governor Ododo emphasized his administration's commitment to peace, unity, and equitable governance in Kogi State. He called on opposition politicians to join him in the collective effort to advance the state's development, stressing that the appeal court’s decision should end disputes over the 2023 governorship election results and foster unity among the people.
The governor also expressed his appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring the judiciary's independence and transparency, describing the judiciary as the last hope for the common man in Nigeria.
The Appeal Court's unanimous decision on Thursday upheld the May 27 ruling of the Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal, confirming Governor Ododo's victory in the November 11, 2023, election. Governor Ododo, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), received 446,237 votes, the majority of lawful votes cast. The court dismissed all appeals filed by candidates from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Action Alliance (AA), and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), declaring them incompetent and lacking merit.
