Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja has ordered All Progressives Congress (APC) to pay the sum of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) in favour of the Petitioners, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka and Social Democratic Party ( SDP)
The tribunal which commenced pre-hearing session at about 9am Wednesday 24th January, 2024 came hard on the 3rd Respondent, All Progressives Congress (APC) legal team for their inconsistency in filling and withdrawing several but similar motions after responses from the Petitioners’s Lawyers.
APC applying for withdrawal of its motion for the second time was not challenged by the lead Counsel to the Petitioners, Chief Jibrin S. Okutepa, SAN, but however demanded for a cost, having wasted the precious time to respond to the motion.
The Tribunal in its rulling, struck out the motion having been withdrawned and ordered cost of of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) against APC and in favour of the Petitioners, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The petition was further adjourned to 31st January, 2024 for continuation of pre-hearing during which pending applications including the APC new motion and other applications to be filed, shall be heard.
The chairman observed that much time has been spent since the filling of the petition on the 2nd December, 2023 and that the tribunal has two weeks to conclude the ongoing pre-hearing conference and subsequently directed the parties to exchange briefs and other relevant documents before the next adjourned date which is 31st January, 2024, for continuation of pre-hearing conference.
It could be recalled that, Alh Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party and the party, ( SDP) are challenging the declaration of the All Progressive Congress (APC ) and its candidate Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo as winners of the November 2023 Gubernatorial poll.