Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and his supporters on Monday hailed the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja for unanimously upholding his victory at the governorship poll held in 2015.
James Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the inconclusive November 21, 2015 election, had approached the tribunal seeking to be declared governor.
But the three-man tribunal led by Justice Halima Mohammed held that Faleke lacked locus standi to challenge Bello’s election having never been sponsored by his party, the APC, as a governorship candidate in both the November 21, 2015 election and the December 6, 2015 supplementary poll.
Mohammed, who read the judgment in the petition, said the fact that INEC declared the first election held on November 21, 2015 inconclusive meant no governor or deputy governor-elect emerged, adding that Faleke therefore could not challenge the nomination of Bello to replace the late Audu since he was never a deputy governor-elect.
She also averred that all votes cast belong to APC, saying it is the political party, through the instrumentality of its candidate that runs for election.
“No right can accrue from an inconclusive election,” she said.
Faleke ran as deputy governorship candidate with Mr. Audu and they were within touching distance of victory before Audu suddenly died.
INEC declared the election inconclusive and asked the APC to nominate a replacement for the deceased.
Faleke rejected his nomination as deputy governor by the party in the supplementary election, choosing instead to challenge the choice of Bello as governorship candidate.
The tribunal held that the issues contended by Faleke bordered on the power of a political party to nominate its candidate, a decision which it lacked jurisdiction to interfere with.
There was jubilation at the premises of the tribunal immediately after the judgment was announced.
Hundreds of Bello’s supporters danced and hugged each other while those of Faleke lowered their heads in defeat.
Bello hailed the judgement, saying the victory belongs to the people of Kogi State, the APC and lovers of democracy across the nation.
The governor said the victory does not call for wild jubilation by his supporters, but offers a golden opportunity for his opponents to join the New Direction Initiative of his administration, which is built on the podiums of development, fairness, justice, freedom and shared prosperity from the confluence of opportunities which abound in the state.
Bello said he holds no grudge against any party, who had approached the court to seek redress, saying as a democrat, he will always respect the rights of the citizens. He said his administration is currently putting in place, tested and sustainable structures to revolutionise education, healthcare, agro-business, industrialisation and conscious efforts at creating jobs for the teeming unemployed in the state.
He said his administration will continue to ensure development, ethnic integration and security of lives and property, warning against criminality and corruption.
His words: “To those who want to make Kogi a criminal hotspot, we will defeat you. My government will spare nothing at ensuring lives and properties are safe within our shores.
“We have taken practical steps in this direction and our Local Government Administrators are also on the same page with us. This administration will not condone corruption.
“The New Direction is that of transparency and accountability. We won’t spare any government official found wanting in our anti-corruption drive just as we would legally ensure that every dime stolen from our coffers in time past is recovered and used for infrastructural and social development. We are on the right path.”
He thanked the people of the state for their prayers and solidarity, assuring them of his readiness to repay their trust and confidence in him.
The governor also urged the Muslims to use the Holy Month of Ramadan to pray for the development of the state and peaceful coexistence among the people.
