Abuja, Nigeria: The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dealt a blow to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by awarding N100,000 in costs to Muri Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, for inconsistency in filing and withdrawing legal papers.
The pre-hearing session on Wednesday morning saw the tribunal come down hard on the APC, the third respondent in the case, for its inconsistent approach to filing motions. After initially filing a response, the APC sought to withdraw it and file a replacement.
Counsel for Ajaka, Barr J.S Okutepa (SAN), while not opposing the withdrawal, requested costs for the wasted time spent preparing a response to the original motion.
The tribunal chairman, in his ruling, acknowledged the wasted time and ordered the APC to pay N100,000 as costs. He also emphasized the need for expeditious proceedings, pointing out that time has been lost since the petition was filed in December 2023.
To ensure this, the chairman directed the parties to exchange briefs and relevant documents before the next pre-hearing session, scheduled for January 31st, 2024. The tribunal aims to wrap up the pre-hearing stage within two weeks and proceed to further proceedings.
It is important to remember that Ajaka is challenging the declaration of Ahmed Usman Ododo of the APC as the Kogi State Governor. Ajaka’s petition alleges overvoting in several Local Government Areas and other electoral malpractices.
This development in the Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal adds another layer of intrigue to the ongoing legal battle. The N100,000 fine serves as a warning to the APC and INEC against procedural inconsistencies, while the directive to speed up proceedings suggests the tribunal’s determination to bring this case to a swift conclusion.