Gaidam, Ajimobi, Okowa win at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja yesterday threw out the appeals challenging the validity of the elections of Governors Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

The apex court said Senator Ajimobi was duly elected as the governor of Oyo state in the April 11, 2015 governorship election held in the state.

The apex court, in a unanimous judgment of a seven member panel of justices headed by Justice Walter Onnoghen dismissed the appeal by Raheed Ladoja of the Accord Party.

Justice Clara Binta Ogunbiyi who delivered the judgment, held that Ladoja’s appeal before the court lacks merit and constituted gross abuse of court process.

In the same vein, the apex court also upheld the election of Governor Okowa of Delta State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice John Inyang Okoro held that the appeal filed by Chief Great Ogboru of Labour Party and the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olorogun O’tega Emerhor lack merit and were accordingly dismissed.

The court also held, in a judgment also delivered yesterday that Alhaji Gaidam was validly elected governor of Yobe state.

The judgment delivered by Justice Mary Peter Odili held that the appeal challenging Gaidam’s election brought before the court by Adamu Maina Waziri of the PDP lacks merit and was accordingly dismissed.

The court reserved reasons for all the judgment on Monday February 15, 2016.