Anxiety As Supreme Court To Give Verdict On 3 Governors’ Fate Today

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on the governorship election disputes in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states.

Earlier in the week, the apex court heard arguments from lawyers representing various candidates and reserved its judgments.

However, Justice Garba Lawal-led 5-man panel of justices has informed the parties involved that its final decision is ready for delivery today, Friday.

Barrister Tunde Falola, representing Timipre Sylvia, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, has confirmed that the Supreme Court has notified them of its intention to deliver a judgment.

The judgment relates to the disputed governorship election in Bayelsa State, in which Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In Kogi, Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo of the APC was declared the winner, and he was challenged by Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In Imo, it was Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP against Governor Hope Uzodimma of the APC in the November 2023 off-cycle elections.

Diri, Uzodimma, and Ododo won at their respective state governorship election petition tribunals and the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

The Supreme Court’s final judgments will bring closure to the legal battles surrounding the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States, which have been contentious and highly disputed.

On Monday, August 19, following the parties’ arguments in the suits seeking to sack Governor Diti, Uzodimme and Ododo of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi, respectively, the apex court reserved its judgment.

President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to return to Nigeria two days after leaving for France.

The president is returning to the country on Friday, August 23, to swear in the new chief justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

This is as Justice Olukayode Ariwoola retired from the service as the Chief Justice of Nigeria on Thursday, August 22.