Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has welcomed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld his election as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State.
In a statement, Governor Ododo thanked the people of Kogi State for their support and appreciated the judiciary for its swift and expeditious handling of the appeal. He said the court’s decision reaffirms the fact that the November 2023 Governorship election in Kogi State was free, fair, peaceful, and credible.
“The judgement of the Appeal Court reaffirms the fact that the November 2023 Governorship election in Kogi State was free, fair, peaceful, and credible,” Governor Ododo said. “By the grace of God, our administration has become the symbol of peace and unity in our state, and we are committed to serving our people on the basis of equity and inclusion.”
He called on opposition politicians in the state to join him in advancing the development of the state, stressing that the judgement of the appeal court should now lay to rest the argument over the result of the 2023 governorship election and unite the people for the development of the state irrespective of political differences.
The Governor also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring the independence and transparency of the judiciary.
The Appeal Court had on Thursday upheld the May 27 decision of the Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal, which upheld Governor Ododo’s election as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State, having scored 446,237 votes, representing the majority of lawful votes cast in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election.
The Appeal Court dismissed all grounds of appeals filed by candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Action Alliance (AA), and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for being incompetent and lacking in merit.