Kogi court nullifies Wada’s emergence as PDP guber candidate

The governorship primary election conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which produced Musa Wada as the standard bearer of the party for the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi state has been nullified by a Kogi state High Court on Thursday. 

Wada, who lost the election to incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello is currently at the governorship election petition tribunal challenging the outcome of the poll in which he came second.

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 Delivering judgement on the pre-election matter filed by Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Idris, challenging the outcome of the primary, the presiding judge, Justice John Olorunfemi held that the PDP never had a candidate in the November 16, 2019 governorship poll in the first instance.

He pointed out that the claimant, who averred that he would have won the primary conducted by the first defendant if the missing votes which belonged to him were added to his votes, could not convince the court to deliver judgement in his favour.

Justice Olorunfemi further submitted that the second defendant could not convince the court that he actually won the party primary, which was marred with rancour and acrimony, arising from the pandemonium, due to sporadic gunshots that compelled the participants to scamper for safety.

He further averred that neither the claimant nor the second defendant could lay claim to the process that was never envisaged by electoral guidelines, holding that the two contestants have not shown any credible evidence to prove that they won an election that was not only inconclusive, but lacked credibility.

According to the presiding judge, the security breach arising from the primary conducted by the first defendant, created into fear and anger, which subsequently led to the relocation of the venue of the primary from the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja to somewhere opposite Rock and Garden School, Lokoja.

He held that the process which was hasty and acrimonious lacked democratic ethos, and must not be encouraged, insisting that the claimant cannot be entitled to the relief being sought, as no one can lay claim to victory at the PDP primary.

The presiding judge subsequently, held that nobody won the primary, insisting that “there is no Abubakar Ibrahim Idris, no Musa Wada and no victor, no vanquished.”

While dismissing the suit for lacking in merit, Justice John Olorunfemi stressed the need for the political parties to always allow democratic ethos to guide them in their activities.