The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed the appeal filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka, challenging the election victory of Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, delivered the final judgment on August 23, 2024.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had affirmed the election of Usman Ododo.
According to Nairametrics, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ododo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the closely contested Kogi State Governorship Election held on November 11, 2023.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Johnson Urama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced Ododo’s victory at 10:23 pm on Sunday, November 12, 2023.
Ododo secured 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the SDP, who received 259,052 votes, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 46,362 votes.
Ajaka and his legal team had approached the tribunal, seeking to overturn the election results and requesting a fresh election in five local government areas. The petition was based on allegations of forgery, voter irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act..
