Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has commended the judgement of the Court Of Appeal which upheld the earlier judgement of the Kogi State National Assembly Election Tribunal nullifying the election of a senator, Dino Melaye.
In a judgment delivered Friday morning, the appellate court agreed with the lower tribunal which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district.
Bello and Melaye have been at loggerheads for over three years now. They were initially political allies.
The governor in a statement by his spokesperson, Mohammed Onogwu, on Friday titled ”Kogi West Appeal Court Verdict: Attestation that Judiciary is Impartial”, stated that it further vindicates his earlier position that the opposition PDP manipulated the elections.
He also felicitated with Smart Adeyemi, Mr Melaye’s rival, on his victory at the courts and praised the judiciary for being “unbiased, independent and impartial.”
The governor said “in spite of the intimidation, unnecessary accusations and rumour-mongering, the tribunal and the Court Of Appeal have lived up to their expectations by dispensing justice without fear or favour”.
Mr Bello congratulated the people of Kogi West Senatorial District, noting that the judgement was a reclamation of their ‘stolen’ mandate.
He said he was confident the people will turn out en mass to elect Mr Adeyemi of the APC in the re-run election which date shall be announced by INEC in due course.
