KOGI GUBER ELECTION: Court Affirms Result

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday upheld the result of the Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary election held on the 9th of February in Kogi state.

This follows after the court dismissed the suit instituted by Alhaji Abdulrasak Isa Kutepa seeking for a re- run of the primary conducted in the state.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the case lacks merit, that there is no evidence exhibited by the plaintiff to show that the Peoples’ Democratic Party has not forwarded the name of Mr. Isa Jibril to the Independent National Electoral Commission. It further held that all the exhibits produced by the plaintiff is not enough to avail him as they are all based on news paper reports and broadcast stations.

It would be recalled that the PDP governorship primary election in Kogi State produced Alhaji Jibrin Isah as the party’s candidate for the April election, thereafter the party was said to have resolved to conduct a re-run poll following series of protests from some of the aspirants and party supporters.

The party’s failure to organize the re-run prompted the runner up in the 9th January primary election, Alhaji Abdul Rasak Kutepa to approach the court praying it to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognizing any candidate that do not emerge from the re-run election.

—Nnamdi Felix / Abuja