The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Kogi on Monday dismissed, James Faleke’s petition in the Nov. 21, 2015 governorship polls.
Faleke, the running mate to Late Abubakar Audu in the polls, challenged the inconclusive result verdict returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also challenged the return of Gov. Yahaya Bello, in the supplementary governorship polls.
Ahead of Monday’s verdict, a civil rights movement under the aegis of Kogi Patriotic Front, had alleged that Governor Yahaya Bello has given out N1.5 billion to the three justices of the Tribunal to influence verdict to his favour.
Read details here:Election Tribunal: Group alleges Kogi Gov. Bello bought judgment with N1.5bn
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Halima Muhammad, in her judgment, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
Muhammad said that the tribunal had carefully articulated all the issues by both parties and held that Faleke had no locus standi to challenge Bello’s nomination.
She said that the petitioner had no locus standi to challenge the election of Bello when INEC had declared the Nov. 21 election inconclusive.
“A candidate cannot stand election without being sponsored by a party; the electoral tribunal has no power to determine the empowerment of a political party.
“The second respondent (Bello) is a member of a political party, the APC, and the party nominated him.
“The issues of the petitioner border on the nomination of the second respondent which aroused from the death of Prince Audu; Bello did not nominate himself.
“Both the petitioner and the second respondent belong to the same party and were sponsored by their party. The APC has the right to substitute candidate as it deems fit.
“The petitioner has not placed sufficient materials before the tribunal to grant his petition; the petition is hereby dismissed for lack of merit,” Muhammad held.
The tribunal chairman said that there was not sufficient evidence before the tribunal that the petitioner wrote a letter to his political party withdrawing his candidature as the deputy governorship candidate.
According to her, the only letter written by the petitioner does not constitute a valid withdrawal and that it is not written to the party but to INEC.
Muhammad also held that the Bello was the sole runner-up in the APC primary to the late Audu and that there was no evidence by the petitioner to show that he was disqualified and was not nominated by the party.
Reacting to the judgment, Faleke told newsmen that he would appeal the judgment of the tribunal.
“The panel of judges did not look at the main subject of our case, so we are going to appeal this judgment.
“We are not concerned with the supplementary election held on Dec. 5; all we know is that we were duly elected in accordance with the constitution,” Faleke said.
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