Wada, PDP ask tribunal to sack Bello

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in Kogi state in the November 30 election, Musa Wada, weekend filed a petition with the election tribunal challenging the victory of Governor Yahaya Bello.

The duo cited as Respondents the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), Governor Bello, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The INEC had on November 18 declared Yahaya Bello of the APC as winner of the governorship election.

The commission through its Returning Officer, Ibrahim Garba, declared Bello winner for polling 406,222 votes as against Wada of the PDP who it declared scored 189,704 in the election.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Natasha Akpoti was credited with 9482 votes, and therefore was declared third behind Bello.

But on Saturday evening in a bid to beat the 21-day dateline before the expiration of the right of appeal, Wada through his counsel Jubril Okutekpa, SAN, was at the FCT High Court, Wuse to file the case.

When they arrived at the court premises there was no power supply, a situation that forced them to resort to the aid of lights from handsets.

They signed the over 1,500-paged petition that consisted of three volumes, in the presence of officials of the court.

Later, Okutekpa, the counsel to the PDP and Wada, said they are praying the tribunal to declare him the winner of the November 16 governorship election, asserting that the result declared by the INEC did not reflect the wish of Kogi electorate.

They also alleged that the election was rigged in favour of the APC candidate, adding that it was also marred by widespread electoral malpractices and violence.

“We hope that the judiciary will get justice not just for me, but for the common man that voted for me. No matter what anyone may say, I still believe that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man and I am a common man” Wada said.

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