The Supreme Court of Nigeria has confirmed Usman Ahmed Ododo as the legitimately elected Governor of Kogi State.
In a conclusive ruling issued on Friday, the highest court rejected an appeal by Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for governor.
Justice Garba Lawal, who delivered the main judgment, declared that the appeal was without merit and represented a serious misuse of the court process. The court also rejected an appeal filed by Olayika Braimoh, the candidate of the Action Alliance.
Addressing the respondent’s objection concerning the late filing of the appellant’s notice of appeal on 26/07/2024, the court ruled that the appellant could not invoke the Interpretation Act to justify the delay. Consequently, the court deemed the appeal invalid and dismissed it, imposing a N5,000,000 fine in favor of the respondent.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision supported the earlier verdicts of both the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.
