Kogi poll: Court orders Bello to be sworn in, quells PDP, LP petitions

Justice Mohammed threw out the petition brought by Capt. Wada that prayed the court to declare him winner of the gubernatorial elections instead of Alhaji Bello.

The two losers, Audu and Wada

Barring any last minute eventuality, the governor-elect of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello a.k.a fair-plus is set to be sworn in come Wednesday 27th January, 2016.

What would have constituted impediments were today, Monday, 26th January quashed by the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The impediments are two motion brought by the outgoing governor Capt. Idris Wada of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] and Labour Party [LP] to stop the inauguration.

Justice Halima Mohammed threw out the petition brought by Capt. Wada that prayed the court to declare him winner of the gubernatorial elections instead of his All Progressives Congress [APC] counterpart, Alhaji Bello.

Following the death of Alhaji Abubakar Audu, the original candidate of the party, the incumbent governor, Wada had contended that he is the living candidate with the next highest number of votes and had sought the court to declare him winner.

Justice Mohammed, however, ruled that the prayers sought by Capt. Wada are without merit and ordered that Alhaji Bello be sworn in come January 27th.

Alhaji Bello rise to power was marred by several other impediments one of which was the court injunction sought by the running-mate to Abubakar Audu, Mr James Abiodun Faleke.

Mr Faleke had contended that being the running mate to Abubakar Audu before his sudden demise he should replace the deceased Audu, a case which didn’t go down quite well with some quarters in the APC.

Mr Faleke was eventually let out of the loop and was shockingly detained in DSS quarters for hours on end which finally silenced him.

 
In another twist of controversies, APC Leaders at some point settled for Late Audu's son, Mohammed to replace his father but was soon deleted from the emerging picture.

Haven exhausted all legal fireworks, fortune is set to smile on Alhaji Yahaya Bello as he climbs the podium on 27th January for the swearing in as the next governor of Kogi State.