Faleke Vs Bello, Who Shall Prevail?

Governor Yahaya Bello Vs Faleke

The Kogi State governorship election tribunal is set to deliver judgments in petitions filed by different political parties, challenging the emergence of Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as governor.

The question on the lips of every Kogite still remains "who shall prevail?"...

However, the tribunal, chaired by Halima Mohammed will deliver judgment on the petition filed by a member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke, challenging the emergence of Mr. Bello as the governor today at the High Court in Jabi Abuja.

Lawyer to Mr. Faleke, Wole Olanipekun, said INEC simply plotted a ‘coup’ against Nigeria’s constitution by declaring Mr. Bello as Kogi State governor.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said Nigeria’s constitution was self explanatory and that Mr. Faleke “has a locus standi for him to have channeled his complaint to the tribunal’’.

He urged the tribunal to use the case of the late President Umar Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan as a case study where the former president died paving the way for Mr. Jonathan to become president.

The lawyer said Mr. Faleke was never a running mate to Mr. Bello in the supplementary poll conducted by INEC and also agreed that what happened with the death of Mr. Audu was the first of its kind in the country.

Mr. Bello’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, on his own part told the tribunal that he was surprised that the APC was not joined as co-respondent in the suit brought by Mr. Faleke.

He argued that the votes cast during the supplementary poll did not belong to the candidate but to the party.

"This case is not in any jurisprudence of the Electoral Act because it is happening for the first time where the first runner died before the conclusion of the election.

This tribunal will be making history in giving direction to the lacuna that has never happened before,” he said.

The arguments by Mr. Olanipekun, could have only made sense if the election was declared conclusive in the first instance. He prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking merit."

We dey watch!!!