Kogi State factional Chairman of the African Democratic Party, ADC, Kingsley Oga, and some members of the party across the three senatorial districts have dumped the governorship candidate of the party, Leke Abejide, for All Progressive Congress, APC, candidate, Ododo Usman.

Oga addressed members of the party during their decamping on Friday at the Government House, Lokoja.

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He said he remained the state chairman of the ADC, but that they decided to abandoned the party’s candidate and work for APC candidate.

According to him, “Among all the governorship candidates for the November 11 governorship election, the candidate of the APC, Alhaji Ododo Usman is the best.

“Before now, he set up a five-man committee to asses all the candidates contesting. At the end, the committee’s report shows that Alhaji Ododo Usman is the right candidate to vote for.”

‘Why we’re dumping ADC’
Oga said the effort of the governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, towards development of the state need somebody that will continue from where he will stop.

He said it was why they have all decided to support Alhaji Usman in the coming election.

He commended Governor Bello for his achievements across the state in the last seven and half years of his administration.

Oga pointed out that from what they have seen and heard about the APC governorship candidate, Ododo will definitely perform well.

Also speaking, Idowu Ibikunle, representing Yagba West at the Kogi House Assembly, said despite the fact that he contested as ADC candidate and won, he and his supporters have all decided to vote for the candidate of APC in the coming governorship election.

“Governor Yahaya Bello is a performing governor and because of that I will support his candidate for the election.

“This is so that the incoming governor, Ododo, can continue from where the governor stop come 2024,” he added.

The Enugu state Governorship/House of Assembly election Petitions Tribunal on Friday nullified the victory of Hon. Okey Mbah, representing Nkanu East constituency in the state assembly under the platform of the PDP.

The court held that the election and return made by INEC on March 18 election for Nkanu East constituency fell shot of all indices of a credible, fair and transparent election on the condition that the said election was marred by gross substantial non compliance with the electoral act.

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Daily Gazette correspondent who was in Court reports that the three man tribunal headed by Honourable Justice Adie Attoe Onyebueke while delivering her judgment on the petition filed by Labour Party candidate, Surv. Okwudiri Nnaji against Okey Mbah of PDP and INEC, ordered a rerun in polling units of Ugbawka and Owo wards where number of votes are higher than the number of registered and accredited voters.

The three man honourable Justices noted that the return made by INEC is invalid.

It however ordered the electoral umpire, INEC, to conduct a rerun election in the affected polling units within 90 days.

Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo on Thursday upheld the election of Pastor Umo Eno of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP as the governor of the state.

The three-member panel of justiceschaired by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, dismissed the Petition jointly filed by the All Progressives Congress,(APC)and its candidate, Obong Akan Udofia, challenging the electoral victory of Umo Eno for lack of Merit.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Umo Eno winner of the election of the March 18, 2023 election.

Eno polled a total of 356, 346 votes to defeat Senator Akpan of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Obong Akan Udofia of the APC who scored 136, 262 votes and 129, 602 votes respectively.

But dissatisfied with the result declared by INEC, Akan Udofia and his party had approached the Tribunal seeking the disqualification of governor Eno on the grounds that he had presented forged documents to INEC, and alleged failure to score the majority Lawful votes in the Governorship election.

The petitioners also alleged that Eno who was joined as the 2nd Respondent in the electoral matter having been convicted by an Abuja Magistrate Court, therefore was not qualified to contest for the said election.

But in its judgement on Thursday, the Tribunal panel held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of non-compliance with the electoral Act 2022 in the conduct of the governorship election.

The Justice Adeleye’s panel also held that the Magistrate court in its judgement, nullified its earlier conviction of Pastor Umo Eno and that once a judgement is nullified, it ceases to exist.

The Tribunal further held that regarding the issue of qualifications, that the Supreme Court had already determined that Pastor Eno (2nd Respondent) 1981 and 1983 WAEC certificates he submitted to INEC are genuine.

It accordingly expunged the evidence by the petitioners’ subpoenaed witness, an acclaimed Interpol officer, who came to tender a report on the 2nd respondent’s WAEC results.

The panel unanimously disagreed with the petitioners on the legality of the setting aside of judgement by the same Magistrate, stressing: “It is not the duty of the tribunal to determine if the decision of the magistrate court to upturn its own judgment was justified. That falls under the jurisdiction of the Abuja High Court.”

Also the Tribunal dismissed the grounds of petition filed by Udofia challenging the eligibility of Senator Bassey Akpan of the YPP, who scored 136, 262 votes to come second in the election.

The tribunal insisted that the APC and Udofia
claim that Senator Albert was not qualified to be fielded by YPP having already vied for same office in the PDP was baseless, as it is a party matter to determine who emerges its candidate.

The judgement which lasted for almost 4hours was read by Justice Kadi Usman Sikudu.

Reacting to the judgement, the Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, and one of the Counsel’s to governor Eno, Essien Udom (SAN) thanked the Court for once again affirming the election of the governor.

“The petition has been dismissed. It was a very, very thorough judgement you could not have expected anything better. All the issues were thoroughly addressed. We are happy”, he asserted.

Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, will, on Saturday, deliver judgment in the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, against Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The tribunal had on September 4 reserved its judgement after parties adopted their final addresses.

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The Hamidu Kunaza-led tribunal told parties that the “judgment is reserved until a date to be communicated to parties.”

Our correspondent gathered that the tribunal fixed the judgment for Saturday.

The secretary of the Tribunal, Mrs. Ezenta Obioma, confirmed this in Abeokuta.

Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr Remi Olatubora (SAN), also confirmed the development to our correspondent.

PDP and Adebutu are challenging the victory of Abiodun at the March 18 Governorship election.

INEC had declared Abiodun winner after polling 276,298 votes, while Adebutu scored 262,38 and Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came distant third with 94,754 votes.

Adebutu in the petition sought an order of the court to declare him as winner of the election.

The petitioners also prayed the court to order the INEC to conduct fresh elections in 99 polling units in 41 wards which cut across 16 Local government areas of the State where elections were either not held and/or cancelled due to disruption and over-voting.

Former chairman of Ijebu East Local Government in Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, has regained freedom from the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, barely about two days after his remand in the facility.

The Police Command in the state had Tuesday arraigned Adedayo, before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital, on a two-count charge.

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The charge followed a petition written against Adedayo by the state government.

Adedayo had accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting statutory Federal allocations of all the 20 LGs in the state.

He also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking Abiodun’s probe on the allegations.

Adedayo was later suspended by the seven councillors from the LG following allegations against the governor, and also held and grilled for three days by the Department of State Security (DSS), Ogun Command, in Abeokuta.

He was impeached on September 14 by five out eleven Councillors in the LG.

When arraigned on Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

The two-count charge read “That you Hon. Wale Adedayo ‘m’ on the 27th August 2023 at Abeokuta in the Abeokuta Magisterial District did unlawfully publish circular to the public, a letter addressed to the former Governor of Ogun State and Elder Stateman, Aremo Olusegun Osoba ‘m’ in which you accused the present Governor of Ogun State: Prince Dapo Abiodun ‘m’ of hijacking Local Government funds which you knew was false allegation and likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that such statement is a rumour and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 59(1) of Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.

“That you Hon. Wale Adedayo ‘m’ on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District did unlawfully publish circular to the public, a letter addressed to the former Governor of Ogun State and Elder Stateman, Aremo Olusegun Osoba ‘m’ in which you accused the present Governor of Ogun State; Prince Dapo Abiodun ‘m’ of hijacking Local Government funds (ten percent (10%) of the State Internally Generated Revenue which the Constitution stipulate should go to the Local Government(s) since May, 2019 which you knew was a false allegation and likely to injure the reputation of the Governor by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule or to damage him in discharge of his office and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 375 of Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.”

In his ruling, Magistrate A.K Araba admitted him to bail with the sum of N2million and two ‘responsible and reliable sureties’ in like sum.

Araba said the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of court and must posses landed property with tax clearance.

The Magistrate, however, ordered his remand at Ibara Correctional facility, Abeokuta, pending perfection of the bail conditions.

Adedayo was taken to the Correctional facility after he failed to meet the bail conditions.

He, however, left the facility on Thursday afternoon upon perfecting the bail conditions.

“Olodumare is faithful. He has never failed. And He will never fail. Despite the schemings, despite the deliberate efforts, Omo Olofin Ogbolu is out. We’ll not relent. We’ll not step back,” Adedayo posted on his Facebook page while announcing his freedom.

Adedayo is expected in Court on October 20, 2023 for trial commencement.