From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Last weekend’s Kogi SGovernorship election Tribunal judgement has continued to attract reactions with a sharp disagreement between the position of Governor, Yahaya Bello, whose election was upheld by the Tribunal and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leaders, Grace Iye Adejoh
Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello on Saturday in Lokoja described the judgment as a re-affirmation of his landslide victory at the November 16, 2019 guber polls in the state.
The Governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, said the landmark judgment affirming his victory was a validation of the people’s mandate and an added impetus to his drive to do more for the people of Kogi State.
The Governor noted that “with the majority ruling of the Tribunal dismissing the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Musa Wada, the rule of law once again came to the defence of democracy by affirming the collective will of the people which was expressed on November 16, 2019.”.
But a leader in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and governorship aspirant in the election, Princess Grace Iye Adejoh, has appealed for calm over the judgement, insisting that her party must reclaim its mandate at the appeal court.
Princess Adejoh, who spoke with reporters over the weekend, expressed sadness and disappointment that the outcome of the tribunal did not favour the PDP and its governorship candidate, Musa Wada, in spite of the various overwhelming evidence brought before it.
She described the tribunal ruling affirming the election of Governor Bello, as truncating the wishes and desires of Kogi people.
Princess Adejoh, who was full of praises for one of the members of the tribunal who gave a minority ruling where he ordered a fresh election, expressed hope that ‘the stolen mandate’ will be restored.
According to the women leader, she likened the tribunal ruling to a football competition which has just begun and that since the last whistle has not been blown, no one side can celebrate a victory.
