Kogi Governor Urges Opposition to Accept Tribunal Ruling in Good Faith

ABUJA - Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has applauded the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal ruling which affirmed the election of President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima, advising the opposition parties that it would not be necessary to approach a higher court, but accept the appeal court ruling in good faith.

Still basking in the euphoria of Wednesday's All Progressives Congress (APC) victory at the court of appeal, while fielding questions from newsmen after he emerged from the office of Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Governor Bello asked the aggrieved opposition parties to, rather, deploy the resources at their disposal to other more meaningful ventures.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't think there is any ground for appeal. I will rather appeal to them that they should drop any appeal going to the higher court and then save the resources, save the trouble, advise their supporters, admonish them that they should accept yesterday's judgement. No flaw."

The governor equally appealed to the opposition to join hands to support the efforts by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration towards ameliorating the hardship being faced by the citizens.

He said, "I advise all those that feel aggrieved, we have only one country, Nigeria; they should all come together and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensure that we fix this country. Whatever hardship we are facing today is the effects of the past.

"Definitely, we have Mr. Fix It who is trying his best, traveling around the world to ensure that Nigeria is fixed. So we are happy the matter is settled."

Continuing, the Kogi State governor in an elated voice said:

"Nothing is as successful as success. We are happy; Nigerians are happy, and the truth is out there. We appreciate all that happened yesterday (Wednesday). The truth has been exposed.

"Imagine the justices sitting down for almost fourteen hours to deliver that landmark judgment yesterday. Nigerians within the country and in the diaspora are happy and I think it's time to settle down and face governance.

On the outcome of the Kogi State tribunal decision which nullified the election of two All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators, and gave victory to the opposition PDP candidates, Governor Bello, while suing for calm, quipped:

"But I want to assure you that even judging from the pronouncements yesterday at the appeal court, we are going to have our 3/3 Senate in Kogi state, I can assure you," the governor said without being categorical.

"This is democracy. and they have the right of appeal. I think they will take the appropriate steps to ensure that no violence is orchestrated anywhere. We will follow the due process of the law and whatever will be the outcome at the end of the day, we abide by it," he said.

Recall that the Kogi State Election Tribunal had declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the 25 February Senatorial election in the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The three-member panel of judges, led by K. A. Orjiako, at the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, unanimously declared her the winner of the election after nullifying the victory of the All Progress Congress (APC) candidate, Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere.

The National Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, also sacked the Chairman of Senate Committee on Customs Excise and Tariffs, Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi East), on the ground that elections were canceled in 94 polling units.

Consequently, it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in the 94 polling units.

In conclusion, Governor Yahaya Bello's call for the opposition parties to accept the ruling of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and refrain from pursuing further appeals reflects a desire for national unity and stability. The governor's emphasis on saving resources and focusing on more meaningful ventures speaks to the need for effective governance and addressing the challenges faced by the country. As Nigeria seeks to move forward, it is crucial for all stakeholders to work together and support the efforts of the administration in creating a better future for the citizens.

Source of content: OOO News 2023-09-07 News

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