Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has welcomed the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja that upheld the decision of the governorship election petition tribunal affirming his return as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State.
In his reaction to the appeal court judgment, Governor Ododo thanked the people of Kogi State for their support and expressed appreciation to the judiciary for the swift and expeditious manner with which it dealt with the appeal, adding that the court has again demonstrated that the mandate freely given to him by the people of the state cannot be upturned by persons who may not agree with the will of God and the majority of the people of Kogi state.
According to Governor Ododo:
“I give thanks to God for seeing us through this phase of the court processes and I thank the people of Kogi state for uniting behind our administration and the steps we are taking to serve our people with the best of our ability.
“The judgement of the Appeal Court reaffirms the fact that the November 2023 Governorship election in Kogi State was free, fair, peaceful, and credible.
“By the grace of God, our administration has become the symbol of peace and unity in our state and we are committed to serving our people on the basis of equity and inclusion.
“I thank the judiciary for staying true to its independence with this judgement of the Appeal Court that has reaffirmed the earlier decision of the Tribunal which is a clear testament that the mandate freely given to us by the people of Kogi State was done in the best interest of our state.”
He called on opposition politicians in the state to join him in advancing the development of the state, stressing that the judgement of the appeal court should now lay to rest the argument over the result of the 2023 governorship election and unite the people for the development of the state irrespective of political differences.
The Governor also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring that the judiciary remains truly independent and transparent as the last hope of the common man in the country.
The Appeal Court had on Thursday upheld the May 27 decision of the Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal which upheld the election of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State having scored 446,237 votes which represents the majority of lawful votes cast in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election in the state.
The Appeal Court in a unanimous decision dismissed all grounds of appeals filed by candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Action Alliance (AA) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for being incompetent and for lacking in merit.
Appeal Court Verdict, Echoes of our victory – Fanwo
…echoes our undisputed victory”
Meanwhile Commissioner of Information, Kingsley Fanwo has hailed the judgment saying “ it echoes our victory” at the poll. Speaking to journalists shortly after the judgement, Thursday, the Kogi State Government Spokesman said the Governor remains unwavering in his faith in the judiciary.
His words: “Today’s judgement represents echoes of our victory on November 11, 2023. We campaigned round the state and worked hard to reassure the people that our party is the most reliable to take the state forward.
“November 11 will continue to be remembered in Kogi State as the day that Kogites across the Senatorial Districts united to speak with one voice, birthing a resounding victory for the incumbent Governor.
“Today’s verdict has offered another great opportunity for those who lost at the poll and in the courts to join the Governor in moving the state forward”.
Fanwo said the court case did not in any way slow governance down, as the Governor has continued to “roll up his sleeves to deliver democracy dividends to the great people of the State.
“The jubilation that greeted the verdict affirming the victory of the Chief Servant of Kogi State is a demonstration of the triumph of the people’s will”.
Fanwo urged the people of the state to continue to support the Governor in order to make the State the Confluence of Excellence.