KOGI: Smart Adeyemi’s Bid To Remove APC Guber Candidate Ododo Fails At Federal High Court, Heads To Appeal

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has held that Senator Smart Afolabi Adeyemi’s suit seeking disqualification of Usman Ododo as the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Kogi lacks merit.

Adeyemi contested against Ododo for the APC governorship ticket but lost.

Justice James Omotosho on Wednesday dismissed the suit which the senator filed to challenge the primary election that produced Ododo, ahead of the state’s governorship election.

Adeyemi had in the suit marked “FHC/CS/556/2023″, argued that the APC primary election results were forged in favour of Ododo.

He maintained that no primary election was conducted in Kogi state.

But INEC countered Adeyemi’s submission while submitting police reports confirming they observed the polls in line with relevant electoral laws.

In his judgement on Wednesday, Justice Omotosho held that Adeyemi failed to prove the allegations of non-compliance and irregularities beyond reasonable doubt.

“In this case, INEC attached its monitoring report and also attached copies of the result, police report confirming the conduct of the election signed by the Commissioner of Police, the case of the Applicant has no basis.

“In the final analysis, having reviewed all the evidence in this matter, I have no doubt that the APC primary election result held in all the wards of Kogi State on the 14th day of April 2023 and I so hold.”

“This Honourable Court will not allow the will of a few just like that of the Applicant to overide the will of the majority. The Applicant’s case has no merit. It is hereby dismissed,” Justice Omotosho held.

Speaking to the press after the court judgement, Adeyemi’s legal team said they were dissatisfied with the verdict, adding they would approach the Court of Appeal for redress.