From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Kogi State governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja yesterday dismissed a petition by the immediate-past governor of the state, Idris Wada against the emergence of Yahaya Bello as governor for lacking in merit.
But dissatisfied, his political platform, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi said they were heading to the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgment.
The aggrieved politicians hinged their grouse on the premise that the tribunal erred in law by abandoning the issues canvassed by their counsel.
Governor Bello was nominated by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to replace Abubakar Audu, who died before the result of the election was announced.
Before his demise, Audu was in clear lead as the November 21, 2015 governorship election.
But the result of the polls was not announced as INEC declared the election inconclusive and asked APC to name a replacement.
It was at this stage that Bello was named the replacement, and he defeated Mr. Wada in the supplementary election that held on December 5.
Not satisfied with the outcome, the former governor approached the tribunal to declare him as winner of the polls.
He alleged “gross irregularities” and asked the tribunal to determine whether Bello was qualified to be declared governor-elect even though he did not take part in the electoral processes that led to the supplementary poll.
Wada further argued that INEC contravened the electoral law by accepting to allow the APC to replace the late Audu with Bello.
He also argued that Bello had gone into the supplementary poll without a valid running mate.
The running mate to the late Audu, James Faleke, had declined to run with Bello, saying that as the deputy to the late Audu, the poll was technically concluded on November 21.
His petition against Bello was earlier dismissed on Monday for lacking merit.
In its judgment, Justice Halima Mohammed held that Wada lacked the locus standi to challenge the process that produced Bello as the APC candidate.
Mrs. Mohammed said Bello’s nomination was in line with the Electoral Act and that Mr. Wada not being a member of the APC , had no right to challenge the process.
Wada had also prayed in his petition that the tribunal reject the nomination of Bello as a replacement for the late Audu because it was done outside the 21-day period allowed by the Electoral Act.
In her verdict, the tribunal chairperson said the 21-day period for the substitution of candidate did not apply in the matter since Bello “is a member of the APC and having come second in the primary election earlier conducted by the party.”