The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by former senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, challenging the victory of Senator Smart Adeyemi, at the November 2019 by-election.
The Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led three-man bench, in its judgment , affirmed the June 10, 2020 judgment of the Kogi State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, Abuja which had earlier dismissed Melaye’s petition for lack of merit, while upholding Adeyemi’s election.
The Appeal panel also awarded the cost of N50,000 against the appellants and in favour of the respondents.
The three-man panel of the tribunal led by Justice Isa Sambo, had on June 10, 2020 unanimously affirmed Adeyemi’s election as the winner of the disputed poll.
The rerun which held in 53 polling units on November 30, 2019 was ordered in the judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified Melaye’s victory in the main election which earlier held in March 2019.
