Respite came the way of the APC governorship candidate, Yahaya Bello on Friday when Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High court sitting at Abuja threw out five different cases by Capt Idris Wada, Hon. Abidun Falake, Johnson Jacob Usman, Raphael Igbokwe and Emanuel Daiko to pave way for Yahaya Bello participation at the supplementary election of Saturday 5th December 2015, saying that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain such cases except the election tribunal.
With the ongoing, there would be supplementary elections in 91 polling units. Already the APC already leading the PDD with over forty thousand votes and with simply mathematics Yahaya Bello is coasting home to victory. However, there remains, many more hurdles to jump and many rivers to cross, it is obvious that the momentary victory of Yahaya Bello would be challenged at the election tribunal after the elections, but at the moment it is Jubilation galore in the camp of Alhaji Yahaya Bello who prevailed over five different case, it was indeed victory for democracy and the judiciary!
In the suit by Faleke, he argued that INEC’s decision was wrong. He therefore asked the court to among others compel INEC to declare his joint ticket with the late Abubakar Audu winner of the election and to restrain it (INEC) from proceeding with its planned supplementary election.
In the second suit, Governor Wada who is also the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party asked the court to compel INEC to declare him winner of the election, on the ground that he is the only surviving candidate in the election who scored the second highest votes after the deceased candidate of the APC.
The third suit was filed by Emanuel Daiko, who claimed to have contested the election as a candidate of the People for Democratic Change (PDC) and wants the court to among others hold the supplementary election as illegal, prevent APC from substituting its deceased candidate and to prevent APC from participating in the election on the ground that it no longer has a candidate.
In the fourth suit, Raphael Igbokwe a member of the House of Representatives from Imo State and Stephen Wada Omaye want the court to annul the November 21 election and conduct a fresh one. It has INEC and APC as defendants.
In the fifth suit, one Johnson Jacob Usman who said he is an indigene of Kogi State as well as a registered voter and a lawyer seeks to among others, compel INEC to suspend all actions in relation to the election pending the determination of the suit and a declaration that the election ought to be cancelled. It has the AGF and INEC as defendants.
